


Those We Cherish

by Sugarbubbleslove



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020), Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Family Bonding, Family Feels, Flashbacks, Fluff and Smut, Friendship, Implied Relationships, Mako Cum, New Beginnings, Oral Sex, Past Relationship(s), Team as Family, The Talk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-13
Updated: 2020-09-22
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:41:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 31,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25877602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sugarbubbleslove/pseuds/Sugarbubbleslove
Summary: Tifa's past is a mystery to many of the people she cares about. So, what happens when she is asked?1 - Tifa & Marlene2 - Cloud & Tifa - Smut3 - Tifa & Wedge4 - Tifa & Barret & Cid5A - Tifa & Denzel - Denzel's POV5B - Tifa & Denzel - Tifa's POV6 - Cloud and Tifa - Smut7 - Tifa and Marle
Relationships: (past relationship), Aerith Gainsborough/Tifa Lockhart, Cloud Strife/Tifa Lockhart, Tifa Lockhart/Cloud Strife
Comments: 101
Kudos: 186





	1. Chapter 1: The Feeling of Home

Title: Those We Cherish

Characters: Tifa Lockhart, Cloud Strife, Marlene Wallace, Jessie, Biggs, Wedge, Barret, Cid, Nanaki

Pairing: Cloud/Tifa

Rating: Teen to Adult

Disclaimer: I do not own anyone/anything from the forum Final Fantasy. Square Enix owns Final Fantasy and its characters. There is no copyright infringement intended. I do not make any profit/money or take any credit.

Summary: Tifa's past is a mystery to many of the people she cares about. So, what happens when she is asked?

Timeline: In no order – Remake/OG/Post ACC

Warning: Family, Fluff, Smut (ofc there is smut – it is Cloud!)

Author's Notes: This was inspired by Krispy over on the FH Discord channel. I joined the channel late, so I was not able to participate in Tifa's Week and Krispy had mentioned that they had hoped to see a story between Tifa and Marle which ended up inspiring this story.

I hope you enjoy it!

**The Feeling of Home**

Tifa beat the pillow into submission before she laid down, her eyes looking up at the ceiling, willing sleep to come but she huffed out a frustrated sigh then looked to her left.

The spot that Cloud Strife usually occupied was empty.

Tifa turned onto her side, her hand skimming the empty spot as she remembered the phone call from Cloud earlier.

He had been offered a merc job while making a delivery. Usually, Cloud would turn down last minute jobs, preferring to be at home with her. But the Gil offered, the job had been too good to pass up.

With the Gil, he could afford to take it easy and boost their savings, as well as spend more time with her and Marlene.

Tifa had felt her heart melt a little when Cloud made his confession, wanting to spend more time with them and she wondered if it was even possible to keep falling more in love with him.

However, it came with the downside that Cloud would be home late, depending on how long the job would take.

Tifa had discovered, quite early into their relationship, that she could not sleep without Cloud Strife.

Which was just ridiculous. She had spent 20 years sleeping simply fine by herself.

Other than the time when she and Cloud had traveled with their family. Aerith had always found her way into Tifa's bed regardless of where they were, much to the amusement of the others…and the barely concealed annoyance of Cloud.

Tifa had to deduce the fact that she felt secure when she was in Cloud's embrace.

After nearly losing him so many times during their travels, it gave her the comfort she needed, the sense of security that she had not lost Cloud, that he was not a figment of her dreams.

So, when Cloud was not in their bed, it made it more difficult to sleep.

She did wonder if it could be attributed to the nightmare she had, not long after she finally got Cloud back from nearly losing him to the Mako and Lifestream.

A soft knock at her door and the sound of wood sliding brought Tifa back to the present and she lifted her eyes to see the soft brown eyes peering around the sliding door.

"Hi, sweetheart." Tifa smiled. "Can't sleep either?"

Marlene shook her head, her hair swinging with her movement as she made no further attempt to come into the room.

Tifa fixed it by lifting the cover, inviting the little girl in.

Marlene beamed brightly as she hurried into the room, pulling the door shut then scampered across the length to reach the bed.

Her stuffed Chocobo – a present from Cloud – was wedged tightly between her upper arm and body as Marlene's hands pressed down on the mattress and bounced on her tip-toes to give her the boost she needed to get up on to the bed.

Tifa moved onto her back as Marlene wiggled closer to her, draping the covers over Marlene, and sighed when Marlene shifted to make herself comfortable.

The only sounds were of Marlene shifting and squirming until she got herself into her favorite position. Her head resting on Tifa's chest with Tifa's arms wrapped around her and Marlene breathed deeply, taking in the comforting scent that was Tifa.

Marlene shifted her head, making Tifa look down and biting back her smile that the pout that was dangerously edging on Marlene's lips.

"When is Cloud coming home?"

Gone were the days Marlene used to scamper from Cloud in fear over this unknown stranger that had entered Tifa's life.

Marlene and Cloud had formed a bond that had helped Marlene cement her place in Cloud's heart and vice versa.

It never failed to warm Tifa's heart whenever she would see Cloud and Marlene conversing quietly together as Cloud helped Marlene or even Marlene just telling Cloud something from her day.

"He said he should be home hopefully later tonight." Tifa brushed Marlene's hair back. "Finding it a little hard to sleep without him in the house?"

"Yes." Marlene laid her head back down on Tifa's chest. "He promised he be back though, right?"

"Yeah honey, he promised." Tifa kissed Marlene's crown.

"Cloud's too nice though," Marlene grumped and Tifa smiled.

"Cloud's Cloud."

"Can I have a story?"

Tifa giggled as she hugged Marlene closer to her chest.

"Sure." Tifa resettled then took a breath. "Once upon a time, there was a little boy who lived in the mountains. He grew up with stories of heroes who went on adventures and wanted to be one himself. His mother supported-"

"Tifa?" Marlene cut in, surprising Tifa.

"Hmm?"

"Do you remember your mama?"

Tifa felt like her breath had been knocked from her chest as she stared down at Marlene's head before she cleared her throat.

"That's not a bedtime story," she gently teased Marlene, tugging softly on her hair, who lifted her head.

"Please?" There was that pout and it made Tifa laugh. Marlene had been spending too much time around Cloud to have picked up on his pout.

"Tifa!" Marlene whined and it made Tifa laugh harder. And there was the pleading tone she copied from Cloud.

Tifa fought back her giggled, opening her eyes to see Marlene was now staring down at her with puffed out cheeks and fought back her laugher as she smiled then slowly shook her head.

"No, I don't remember much about my mama," Tifa admitted as she stroked Marlene's hair back. "I lost her when I was eight."

"Oh," Marlene shifted some more, "I don't remember my mama too."

Tear sprung to Tifa's eyes as she nodded, pressing a kiss to Marlene's crown then bit her bottom lip.

They still have not told Marlene about Dyne. Barret had made the choice to wait until Marlene was older. Even though Marlene knew Barret was not her biological father, he was still her father in every way, and they all knew telling her about Dyne would just confuse her.

Plus, how do you tell a child their father committed suicide instead of coming home to her?

"Do you remember anything about your mama?"

"Hmm, she smelt sweet."

"Like Aerith?"

A pang shot through her heart as she thought about her best friend and Tifa closed her eyes, willing back her tears as she remembered the sweet scent from Aerith whenever they were close.

"No, Aerith was sweeter. My mama smelt more like…lavender." Tifa sighed. "She loved Lavenders. She always smelt sweet and calm. When she would hold me, it would calm me down."

"Was your mama ill?" Marlene asked.

"Yeah. She was ill for a little while. But I still got to spend time with her." Tifa smiled. "I remember her cooking. She loved cooking. She would always create these big meals for everyone, and she had a soup that she would make when I was ill."

"Like the one you make?" Marlene shifted so she was looking up at Tifa.

"Well, an attempt at it," Tifa admitted ruefully. "Daddy…he didn't keep much of Mama's stuff after she died. It was too hard for him. Her recipe book was part of it."

"What else did your mama teach you?"

"The piano." It hurt to think of the piano that now belonged to a stranger's house. She had grown up with that piano, had sat with her mother on the bench.

She remembered seeing it in her house after they had returned to Nibelheim, to see the fake village and even faker people milling around.

Cloud had sat next to her on the bench when she discovered the letter from Master Zangan, explaining why he had left her.

Tifa came out of her thoughts to see Marlene gazing thoughtfully at her. "She loved to play the piano and she taught me."

"I've never heard you play the piano."

"I don't play it very much now. Not a lot of time."

The last time she had played had been on their journey…just before they lost Aerith.

The thought of touching another key made her heart clench with pain and look away.

Marlene shifted so she was now lying on her side on the bed. Tifa followed suit, looking at Marlene curiously when she saw the seriousness on a face so young.

"Were you lonely?" Marlene asked, her eyes wide. Tifa smiled softly as she pushed Marlene's hair back before she shook her head.

"No, I had Cloud's Mama to help me when I needed her."

"Cloud's Mama?" Marlene's eyes were wide with interest and Tifa giggled.

"Yes, Cloud's mama. What, did you think Cloud came from the skies?" She leaned in, rubbing their noses together and getting giggles from Marlene as a result.

"Tifa!" Marlene gently pushed Tifa away before tilting her head. "What was Cloud's mama like?"

"Home." The word drew from her lips unbidden before she even thought about it. She paused, taking in the word that described Claudia Strife and her heart lightened. "She was home."

"Really?"

"Yeah, she smelt like sugar and spice and home. You would feel it right here," Tifa placed her hand over her heart, "when you were with her. Like you were where you were meant to be."

"Oh," Marlene placed her hand over her heart, and she smiled up at Tifa. "That's how I feel when I'm with you."

Tears filmed Tifa's eyes as she leaned over and kissed Marlene's forehead, inhaling the soft scent that was purely Marlene, hugging her close.

"I feel the same."

Marlene giggled, nuzzling's Tifa's collarbone before she wiggled in Tifa's embrace, a sign that she wanted to pull back and Tifa let her.

"So, Cloud's mama," she prompted.

"She was there for me not long after my mama died. She always found a way to make me feel better." Tifa smiled. "I used to go to her whenever I couldn't go to my dad about things."

"She sounds nice," Marlene whispered. "I wish I could meet her."

"She'd love you."

"Really?" Tifa nodded.

"She loved kids," she laughed softly, "She always held these little classes for us."

"What kind of classes?"

"Knitting and sewing. Baking and cooking. Even woodcutting." She smiled at Marlene's skeptical eyebrow rise.

"Don't knock Mama Strife," Tifa tickled Marlene's side, resulting in a squirming child as she tried to get out of Tifa's reach without losing her warmth. "She had Cloud for a child."

That made Marlene laugh, burying her face into the pillow to muffle the noise even though Cloud was not in the building.

Tifa smiled as she watched Marlene laugh. She loved hearing Marlene laugh. They all had been through so much and things had been so busy that Tifa felt she had not been able to sit down with Marlene as much as she used to.

"Was Cloud that bad as a child?" Marlene asked, turning her head. Tifa hummed.

"He was a lonely child," she remembered. "He wasn't outgoing. When he got a little older, he would get into fights. Mostly defending himself."

She remembered seeing his memories in the Lifestream. "But he loved to climb trees and run over rocks and check out the lakes."

"So, like any boys." Marlene rolled her eyes and Tifa smiled.

"I guess." Tifa shrugged softly.

"And Cloud's mama? What did she teach you?"

"She's the one who taught me how to make the cookies."

Marlene's eyes went wide with wonder, her lips parting in a gasp.

"Those Chocolate Chip Sugar Cookies you make, the ones you dunk in milk?" Tifa nodded. "They are so good."

"I know," Tifa poked Marlene's stomach, "It's a wonder you and Cloud haven't turned into sugar cookies yourself with how much you consume."

"We can't help it," Marlene squealed as she threw herself closer to Tifa, squishing Tifa's hand between them, "Your cookies are so good."

"So good that you and Cloud can't even leave a single crumb for me when I've finished baking them."

"Sorry," Marlene looked chastised but Tifa could see the mischievous gleam in her eyes.

"Sure, you are. I only slave over that oven to cook for other people," Tifa huffed.

"You're a really good cook?" Marlene inched closer into Tifa's embrace; we love your cooking that we can't help but want more?"

Tifa glanced at Marlene, quirking an eyebrow.

"You're clearly taking after Cloud more than I thought."

Marlene merely gave her a sweet smile and Tifa rolled her eyes as Marlene moved in closer, burying her face into Tifa's neck.

Both lay there in silence for a while, Tifa humming under her breath as she stroked Marlene's back when Marlene shifted her head.

"What about Cloud's daddy?" Marlene played with a lock of Tifa's hair and Tifa felt her smile fade at the question, sending her back in time.

_Tifa smiled as she listened to Claudia hum under her breath as she prepared the baking sheet for the cookies Tifa was currently mixing, trying to bring it into a ball shape._

_"Remember, mix it with your fingertips," Claudia told her and Tifa nodded as she concentrated. "Tifa," there was laugher in the older woman's voice and Tifa lifted her head. "Don't look so serious."_

_Tifa felt her cheeks heat up and she looked back down at her mixture._

_"Sorry, I just really want this batch to turn out good."_

_"You have been doing a good job with them lately," Claudia told her as she brushed her hands on her apron before turning to look at Tifa._

_"Hmm," Tifa nodded slowly as she finished mixing, the dough now shaped into a soft ball._

_"Alright, time to shape them." Claudia handed her the knife and Tifa got to work, making sure the cookies were equaled as she placed them on the tray, deep in thought._

_She wished she knew how to start the conversation she wanted to have with Claudia._

_But no matter how many times she rehearsed, it never seemed to come out the way she expected it to._

_Then again, how did one approach a situation like this?_

_Claudia's humming brought her out of her thoughts, and she opened the oven and the scent of the first batch of cookies filled the kitchen, making Tifa's mouth water as she stepped forward the with the tray she prepared._

_"Here," Claudia placed the hot tray down on the counter and took the cool tray. "Make the drinks and I'll bring through the cookies."_

_Tifa nodded, turning around making up the drinks, tea for Claudia, and milk for her before she headed into the living room with Claudia following not far behind._

_On automatic, Tifa placed the mugs down in their respective places, pulled out her chair, and sat down before her eyes caught sight of a picture featuring a young Cloud and she bit her bottom lip._

_**It was for him,** she reminded herself._

_"Here you go," Claudia placed the plate of cookies down on the table and a mug of milk in front of Tifa, giving her a smile as Tifa looked at her then snagged a cookie as Claudia sat down._

_"You know you can ask me anything," Claudia told her. Tifa's eyes snapped up to hers in surprise and Claudia smiled. "You and Cloud have the same avoidance tactic."_

_Tifa felt her cheeks heat up at the mention of Cloud as she returned her attention to the cookies._

_"I just…wondered about Cloud's father." She glanced at Claudia out the corner of her eye. "No-one talks about him and I know Cloud doesn't remember much of him."_

_"Hmm, what brought that up?" Claudia asked._

_Her father's voice rang in her head, calling Cloud a fatherless bastard, made Tifa look back down at the cookies in her hand, her heart hurting._

_"Just curious," she whispered._

_Silence descended on the two of them as Tifa fiddled nervously with her cookie then she sighed, feeling the weight of Claudia's gaze._

_"Because I never knew Cloud's father. And you've never seemed interested in other people in the village. And I know Mister Maxwell has been trying to court you."_

_A look flittered past behind Claudia's eyes, slow enough for Tifa to catch it but fast enough that Tifa could not make out the emotion before Claudia wrinkled her nose._

_"No offense to Mister Maxwell, but I am quite happy not looking for love."_

_Tifa slowly nodded as she thought about the other man. It was clear that he was smitten by Claudia, but how much of it was because he wanted to be with Claudia and how much of it was because of his playboy ways was up in the air._

_Tifa remembered the man pulling the same flower tricks on a few women, especially visitors to the area then realized that the man had only started pulling the moves on Claudia after Cloud had left town._

_Must have known that Cloud would not have stood by and watched him court his mother, Tifa thought to herself, amused._

_The sound of the chair being pushed back brought her out of her thoughts to see Claudia making her way over to the large bookcase._

_Tifa tried to not look too interested when Claudia snagged something and made her way back to the table, sitting down and giving her a small smile._

_"Here," Claudia slid the photograph across the table and Tifa looked at it, her breath taken at the sight of the young Cloud in the man's arms._

_The man was looking down at Cloud with pure unadulterated love and it made Tifa's heart hurt to look at it._

_"We met when we were kids," Claudia started. "We fell pregnant when I was 17." Tifa lifted her eyes to look at Claudia, surprised._

_She knew Claudia was young but had not realized just how young she had been. Claudia smiled softly._

_"When I found out I was pregnant, I was terrified. But he was the one to assure me that he would stand by me, no matter what. Our parents weren't exactly thrilled we were in a relationship together so…"_

_Claudia's eyes darkened with the memories and Tifa felt her heart hurt for the woman in front of her. "They were not happy when we told them that I was pregnant." She ran a hand through her hair. "So, we left in the middle of the night."_

_A gasp of disbelief escaped Tifa, her eyes wide, and got a rueful smile from the older woman._

_"Yeah, they were threatening to keep us separated. There were even talks of giving the baby up when I gave birth. I…I was angry. I told him I wanted to leave our family, to strike out on our own."_

_"Wow." Tifa stared at Claudia, amazed. She could not imagine what that must have been like. To be pregnant and be on the run._

_"He knew of Nibelheim, thought it would be a great place to raise our child so we both packed what little we had, and we came straight here."_

_Claudia wrapped her hands around her mug once more. "It was crazy, but we didn't care. We loved each other and we wanted to raise our baby together. Not have it taken away from us."_

_"That must have taken a lot of courage."_

_"Yeah," Claudia chuckled, "We knew we would be facing hard times by leaving our parents, but we felt it was the best way."_

_"Your mother was the first person I saw," Claudia laughed, "She was all dark hair and bright smile and she wore that purple dress that was her favorite."_

_Tifa smiled as she remembered the dress that her mother always loved to wear. That dress had been one of the few things her father had kept, and it was currently in her closet._

_"When she saw us," Claudia's voice broke into her thoughts, "She took one look and demanded that we get into the house so she could feed us because we looked like skins and bones."_

_Tifa laughed softly, that sounded like her mother and Claudia sighed._

_"She never judged us," Tifa looked at Claudia. "She knew I was pregnant and just asked me how far along was I. I would have never gotten through this pregnancy without your mother."_

_"Really?" That was news. Even though she knew her mother and Claudia had a friendship when she was younger, she did not know how close they were._

_"Your mother helped me in a lot of ways." Claudia shrugged softly._

_"And Cloud's father?"_

_"Cloud's father was killed in a hunting accident not long after Cloud was born." Tifa's eyes came up to see Claudia's stroked her thumb over the man's face. "There had been animals attack and the village was on edge. He went out hunting to get food when he had been killed."_

_Tears filmed Tifa's eyes as her eyes dropped down to her mug._

_"I'm sorry," she whispered._

_"It was a long time ago,"_

_"But it's not easy to lose someone you love," Tifa tightened her grip on her mug, "And Cloud was so young too."_

_She looked down at the picture, at the man holding young Cloud in his arms._

_He looked so happy with Cloud, the smile splitting his face, his eyes shining with happiness as he held Cloud close to his body._

_Cloud had a hand waving in the air, smiling back at his father and it made her heart hurt._

_How many times has she seen that kind of smile on Cloud's face?_

_"What was he liked when you were pregnant?" Tifa looked down at the photo. The smile Cloud's father had reminded her a little of Cloud and she pushed the thought away._

_"He was so attentive, so loving. When Cloud kicked for the first time, you should have seen him. He was so excited that he got on his knees and talked to Cloud, just to see if Cloud would kick again."_

_Tifa giggled at the image._

_"He was so happy when Cloud was born. A complete nervous wreck," Claudia smiled, "He did not think he could be a good father, but I told him that a child just needs to know they are loved. That they can come to their parents for anything. When Cloud was born, and they placed him in his arms…I got to see him fall in love."_

_"Well, Cloud makes a cute baby," Tifa remarked, looking down at the picture and taking a sip of her milk._

_"I'm sure you like him even more now he's older," came the sly remark, and Tifa spluttered into her drink, coughing as she looked at Claudia with wide eyes._

_"What?" She squeaked. Claudia merely smirked and Tifa covered her face. "Don't!" she whined._

_Claudia just laughed, making Tifa look at her through spread fingers to see the bright smile that lit up the older woman's face, the sparkle that shone in her eyes and, even it was down to her embarrassment, she was happy to see Claudia looking happy._

_Claudia sighed happily as she pulled the photo toward her, smiling down at it._

_"Cloud has more of his daddy in him than he knows." Claudia ran her finger down the man's cheek before she side glanced at Tifa. "It will just take the right woman to bring it out in him."_

_Tifa looked away from Claudia and her knowing gaze, wishing she knew how to open her heart when Claudia's hand went to her shoulder, drawing her attention._

_"Tifa," Claudia's hand came up, cupping Tifa's cheek and lifting her face. Tifa met her eyes and Claudia smiled. "Remember, you don't need to hold everything in."_

_Claudia leaned forward and kissed her forehead._

_"We're here for you."_

Tifa came of her thoughts with a shudder as a tear slipped free before she closed her eyes and turned her head to look down at the young girl, giving her a small smile.

"Cloud lost his dad when he was young."

"Oh," Marlene whispered sadly and Tifa stroked Marlene's hair back.

"He wasn't as lucky as us when it came to fathers."

"But his mama made up for it?"

"Yes, she loved him, brought him up. She kissed his scrapes and bruises and looked after him when he was sick. She encouraged him to reach for the highest star and know he had the potential to reach it."

"Cloud misses her, doesn't he?" Marlene shifted so she was now on her side, burying her face into Tifa's neck.

"Yeah. He doesn't like to show it, but he misses her."

"Do…do you think he will talk about her if I ask?"

A warm smile pulled at Tifa's lips as she hugged Marlene close to her.

"You know what, I think he will."

A soft hum came from the girl as her breathing started to even out and Tifa felt herself following suit.

"Tifa?" Marlene's voice came out sleepy, warm and contented.

"Hmm?" Tifa turned her head, her lips brushing Marlene's forehead.

"Do you think Daddy could adopt Cloud?"

Tifa smiled against Marlene's skin, a tear slipping free.

"You know sweetheart…I have a feeling your daddy adopted Cloud a long time ago."

"Good."

Both fell asleep, safe, and secure in each other's arms and knowledge of a parent's love.

A soft weight settling on the bed made Tifa hum before she felt soft lips press against her forehead then her lips and she smiled.

There was only one person who kissed her like that then she fell back into her deep slumber, feeling safe and secure.

A little while later, Tifa slowly opened her eyes, feeling the weight on the other side of the bed and she noticed that Marlene was no longer in her embrace.

She met Cloud's sleeping face first and a smile touched her lips.

She loved watching Cloud as he slept. His face was soft and relaxed. His lips slightly parted.

Her eyes traveled down, and tears pricked the back of her eyes, her smile widening.

Marlene was now curled up into Cloud's chest, her little hand clutching Cloud's t-shirt that he always wore when Marlene was in bed with them.

One of Cloud's arm was under his pillow, Marlene her head on the crook of his arm, her face buried in his neck. His other arm wrapped around Marlene, his hand covering Tifa's.

How was it possible to fall even deeper in love with Cloud Strife, Tifa would never know but she did, her heart feeling bigger each time.

She spread her fingers underneath his hand and Cloud automatically slid his fingers between hers, linking their hands.

She brought their laced hands up to her lips and kissed the back of his hand before tucking it under her cheek.

"Welcome home, Cloud," she whispered before she closed her eyes and fell back asleep, enjoying the warmth of her family around her.

Unknown to her, Cloud slit his eyes open to watch her and he smiled softly, gently squeezing her hand and tightening his grip on Marlene before he closed his eyes.

Home indeed.

TBC


	2. The Memories We Have

The Memories We Have

Warning: Smut, 'because Cloud isn't interested in being in a chapter that wasn't smutty

Tifa gasped, her hips arching, and her fingers clutched at the bedsheets, her knuckles turning white and her toes curled.

"Cloud-" her voice came out choked as she bent forward, panting as she met Cloud's eyes in time to see that sinful smirk cross his lips and he slid his tongue deep inside of her.

The sight and feeling sent Tifa over the edge, her head falling backward as she let out a harsh cry of his name.

Her hips bucked up into his face and he clamped one hand on her thigh, opening her up even further to his probing tongue while his other hand slid up her torso and cupped her breast, his thumb rubbing over her nipple.

Her mind felt hazy, she felt as if she was melting from the inside out and one hand let go of the sheets, gripping Cloud's hair instead when he flicked his tongue and sent her over the edge.

She came, choking on his name before she sobbed when he removed his face from between her thighs and looked up at her.

She managed to open her eyes to see his lips and chin were glazed and he licked his bottom lip.

"You taste good," he told her, pushing up to kiss her deeply and she moaned into his mouth as she tasted herself.

"Cloud, please," she angled her hips toward him. Cloud got the hint and moved in closer.

"Hmm, feel better?" Cloud teased, the tip of his cock teasing her entrance.

"Cloud," she whined, "Please."

"Shh," he hushed her, brushing his lips against hers, softly and sweetly. A contrast the feel of the head of his cock dipping in, teasing her with a taste of his thickness before he would pull away.

Her walls clenched down on emptiness and she tightened her grip on the back of his neck.

"Cloud!"

Cloud slid inside of her and her nails raked down his back, drawing a moan from him as he pulled at her legs, drawing them high around his chest and sinking deeper inside of her.

God, she loved it when he deep inside of her, claiming her, filling her up. She clenched her walls around him, needing that feeling of being tight around him.

A harsh moan was pulled from his lips, her name came out broken and she felt a thrill drive up inside of her.

And she loved breaking that control of his. He was always in control himself when he made love to her, always careful and cautious and she loved that about him, adored it but sometimes, she needed him to break.

She needed him to know she could take him, hard and fast, rough, and furious.

She loved it when he was rough with her, hands in her hair, and tugging. His hips slamming against hers and fingers gripping her tightly that she had bruises the next day.

The feel of his teeth pulling at her lip, his lips sucking at her skin and biting down on her when he tried to smother his moans.

She would grip the back of his hair and pull him away from her neck, needing to hear his moans, his broken gasps and choked words as he pounded into her over and over

"Cloud," she tightened her walls around him again, needing him to move faster, harder.

"Tifa," One hand clutched the pillow beneath her head while the other gripped her hip, pulling her close to him each time he moved downward, his breathing coming out harsh.

He looked beautiful above her, sweat dripping down his body. His blue eyes piercing right into her soul. The way his teeth gritted as he focused on her pleasure first.

But she wanted him to come, she wanted to feel him lose control, to feel him deep within her and she leaned up, kissing him deeply as she squeezed down as hard as he could when he thrust deep inside of her.

"Shit, Tifa!" He groaned out her name, shuddering above her as he emptied himself into her. Tifa moaned when she felt his release, her walls contracting around his sensitive member as she clutched as his hips, willing him to stay inside of her.

"Tifa," he kissed her deeply as she tightened around him once more before hissing as he pulled away from her.

As Cloud pulled himself out of Tifa, he uttered dispel under his breath and she felt the warmth as the barrier faded inside of her and it brought a smile to her lips as she remembered something.

Tifa giggled as Cloud curled himself around her, nuzzling her neck.

"What's so funny?" His voice came out slightly slurred.

"I was thinking of Biggs and Jessie," she admitted. She felt Cloud stiffen next to her before he pulled his face away from her neck.

"While in bed with me?" He asked. The pout on his face was so adorable that she had to lean in and kiss that bottom lip of his, drawing it between her teeth and she nibbled before she let it slide, wetly, getting a sharp gasp from the man in return.

Cloud leaned in, greedily kissing her deeply as she turned in his embrace, her hand going to the back of his neck, her fingers sliding through his soft hair.

His arm, around her waist, tightened and he pulled her up against his body, pressing her curves against the hard planes of his body.

He felt so good that she shivered, needing him in closer as the kiss deepened before she pulled away, needing to breathe.

"So greedy," she teased him, rubbing their noses together.

"You make me greedy," he agreed.

"Hmm, no complaints from me," she nibbled his bottom lip with a smile.

"So, Biggs and Jessie, why did that make you laugh?"

"They…" she laughed, and Cloud smiled. "They gave me 'The Talk'."

Cloud frowned, bewildered as he drew his head back a little to look at her, arching an eyebrow as she giggled.

"The Talk?" he asked, and she nodded.

"It was hysterical," she admitted before she wrinkled her nose, "Well," a sheepish smile crossed her lips, "Embarrassing at first. But now when I think back on it, I can see the funny side."

"What kind of 'Talk' was this?" he asked, curious.

"A relationship talk." She rolled her eyes at his bewildered looks then shrugged. "It was because I…er…" she flushed and Cloud arched an eyebrow, "It was back when I was talking you up because I wanted Barret to hire you."

"Ah," understanding showed on his face before he smirked and she felt her face flame, "That obvious, were you?"

"Cloud!" she pushed at his shoulder. He laughed as he pulled her into his body, kissing her softly.

"Come on, like I didn't notice the way Biggs kept Wedge from following us or how he tried to get Jessie to lay off on the flirting."

"Yeah, the flirting." She narrowed her eyes at Cloud, who frowned, confused, "I heard you got a kiss."

"On the cheek!" his eyes were wide. "She kissed me on the cheek!"

"Because you pass the test," she remarked and watched as his cheeks heat up.

"The bike tests! It was a stupid bike test."

"So, you say."

"So, I say?" he spluttered, leaning away from her, "You know you're the only one I've ever been with."

"Not to say you didn't do other things," she remarked.

Cloud was about to retort when she let the smirk cross her lips and watched he cut himself off, his eyes narrowing at her lips before he looked into her eyes.

"You're playing me," he remarked flatly, and she laughed. "That's not funny, Tifa!" It just made her laugh even harder. "Tifa!" There was the whine she had gotten to know, and it made her double over, tears in her eyes.

Cloud just held her in his arms while she slowly recovered from her laughter, leaning back against the pillows with a giggle and met his face.

"You finish?" He asked, a dark scowl on his face but his eyes betrayed his amusement.

"I'm sorry," a chuckle slipped free and he rolled his eyes. "I'm finished." She held up her hand. "I promise." Cloud scoffed.

"She told you," he muttered and Tifa nodded.

"She was very impressed with your bike skills." She roved an admiring eye over his body before she smiled as she leaned in. "I must admit, I did like the stunts you pulled with the Hardy Daytona in Shinra HQ."

"Really?" Cloud leaned in, a smirk curling his lips, "Hmm, maybe if you're nice to me," he brushed their lips together, making her eyes flutter shut, "I'll pull some of those moves with you on the bike."

"And how nice do I have to be?" Her voice was breathy as she looked up at him.

"Tell me the talk."

"Cloud!" Her cheeks flamed and he chuckled.

"Come on Tifa." He adjusted so he raised his head, propping an elbow on his pillow, resting his cheek on his hand. "I don't know much of you with Jessie and Biggs."

"Cloud…"

"You knew them for 5 years Tifa. I was not with you for those 5 years. I wouldn't mind being able to hear what your time with them."

"It's not interesting."

"I'll be the judge of that," he countered.

"Oh, fine," she rolled her eyes at him as his smile turned smug with his victory and she settled back on the bed, thinking back to that moment.

_Tifa was cleaning the glasses, casting an amused eye over at Jessie and Biggs as they flirted while arguing with each other. It was interesting, their relationship._

_For as long as she had known them, they would go around in a circle, but they never seemed to get together._

_Not that it stopped them from hooking up. She had been unfortunate enough to stumble across them a few times on various surfaces and states of undress._

_"So," Jessie turned her attention to Tifa, who glanced at her before she lifted the glass to the light._

_"So," Tifa repeated._

_"Cloud seems interesting," Jessie remarked._

_"I'm sure he does," she replied, getting an eye roll from the woman in return._

_"So, he is important to you?" Biggs asked._

_"He's a friend," Tifa replied, bringing the glass back down to clean it again._

_"A friend with benefits?" Jessie asked with a glint in her eyes, making Tifa stammer and blush while Biggs rolled his eyes._

_"Knock it off, Jessie. What she does in her personal life doesn't concern you."_

_"Oh, come on Biggs, you've seen him. How can you deny wanting to know how good he is in bed?"_

_"Jessie!" Tifa felt like her face was going up in flames as she slammed down the glass and cleaning cloth onto the counter._

_"Because I don't need to know if Cloud is good in bed. I just want to know he is being respectable to Tifa."_

_" **Me**?" Tifa squeaked out, her eyes darting between the two of them._

_"You know he can be respectable and dirty at the same time, right?" Jessie asked._

_"Oh god." Tifa buried her face into her hands at the conversation._

_"Here you go again." Biggs sighed. "He is a person, Jessie, not Tifa's boy-toy."_

_"Why can't he be both? Respect her and let her work off all that stress she has pent up in that delectable body of hers?"_

_"Guys!" Tifa slammed her hands down on the counter and caused the two of them to look at her flaming face. "Cloud is just a friend from my childhood days."_

_"Then why did you talk him up to Barret?" Jessie leaned forward, placing her elbow on the counter, and cupping her chin. "I thought he was going to have a whiplash over how animated you got when talking about Cloud."_

_"What are you talking about?" Tifa suddenly busied herself cleaning the glass again._

_"Seriously Tifa, even I noticed it," Biggs also leaned forward, placing his elbows on the counter. "You lit up when you spoke about him. You…" he looked at Jessie, who nodded then looked back at Tifa, "You are a private person. We barely know anything about you and…when you smile, it's clear you're not smiling from the heart."_

_Tifa looked at Biggs, surprised, her lips parting – partly because she wanted to protest but found that she could not._

_It was true, after all. Barret had asked her about her parents and her hometown but all she said was her parents were dead and offered no other information._

_None of them even knew why she wanted to join Avalanche or why she hated Shinra._

_"And Cloud comes along and you're all but bending over backward to try and get him accommodations and a job," Jessie finished off, her eyes on Tifa. "Plus, we're not the only ones who have noticed."_

_"What do you mean?" Tifa bit her bottom lip._

_"Your punters have noticed a difference since Cloud entered Seventh Sector," Biggs sighed._

_"Yeah, quite a few jealous comments on Cloud making you smile too."_

_"Oh please," Tifa brushed off Jessie's last comment. That was a running gag with Avalanche, with them saying that Tifa needed to watch herself when it came to the men – and some of the women – because they had a crush on her._

_Tifa had refused to believe it. They liked her because she was nice, and she cooked. It was that simple._

_"I heard Cloud complain about the shop keeper," Biggs told her with an amused smirk._

_"He's a nice guy, he always gives me freebies when I stock up there. I don't understand why Cloud has an issue with him."_

_"Probably because you're the only one he gives freebies to," Jessie remarked, laughter coloring her tone as she smiled before shaking her head at Tifa's confused look. "Babe, we all stock up at his shops and he has never given any of us freebies. That's why Cloud is annoyed."_

_"No, that's not right. He gave Barret freebies too."_

_"Were you with Barret?" Biggs asked. Tifa frowned before she slowly nodded and got a smile in return. "Yeah, people tend to use Barret to get into your good favor."_

_"What?!" Tifa squeaked. Jessie giggled as she covered her mouth with her hand, her brown eyes dancing with amusement._

_"Have you not wondered about the grumbling Barret always does whenever it comes to you?" Jessie asked. "The man had been ranting about those idiots that have been buying him drinks to get closer to you."_

_"But why? All they must do is ask me to get them drinks. They don't need to drink with Barret for me to serve them."_

_Biggs and Jessie shared a look before they turned back to her._

_"I meant they want to spend alone time with you Tifa, and they think by going through Barret, they can get closer to you."_

_"That's just silly," Tifa waved it off, "Barret is hardly my gatekeeper."_

_"I don't know about that," Biggs muttered under his breath, grumbling when Jessie elbowed him, while Tifa looked confused._

_"Babe, you are gorgeous, and you have a big heart and a beautiful smile – which has only gotten brighter since Cloud stepped back into your life – that people want to spend time with you."_

_Tifa felt her cheeks heat up as Jessie and Biggs stared at her and she thought back to all the time's someone had been nice to her._

_"But…"_

_"Yeah, you rejected those who were obvious about their intentions for you," Jessie agreed._

_"Thank you for your entertainment." Biggs held up his glass of beer in cheer._

_"Biggs!" Tifa scolded as she placed the glass on the counter again as she frowned at Biggs._

_"Oh please, those idiots deserved those knockdown you gave them," Biggs smirked. "Besides, better you than Cloud, right?"_

_Tifa winced at the thought. Cloud had been a tad overprotective of her when it came to certain people._

_"I'm telling you Tifa, you should just climb that man and ride him for all he's worth."_

_"Oh god!" She buried her face into her hands again._

_"Or, you know, they could go on a date," Biggs stressed the word as he looked at Jessie, "Not jump into bed right away. Get the chance to know each other again."_

_"Cloud seems to know her plenty if his eyes say anything considering they are always glued to Tifa whenever she's around."_

_'For the love of-"_

_"Come on Biggs, don't you want to see our lovely bartender stress free and happy?" Jessie challenge. Tifa dropped her hands to see Jessie arching an eyebrow challengingly at Biggs, who seemed lost for words. "And we both know Cloud would certainly take care of Tifa." She turned to look at Tifa. "If she would let him."_

_"I can take care of myself." She puffed out her cheeks, crossing her arms and turning her face away._

_"And we know that Tifa," an amused smile crossed Jessie's lips and Tifa felt like she had just walked into a trap before she considered her words and gasped. "But there is no shame in letting loose too."_

_"I…let loose," Tifa countered weakly._

_"Fighting monsters and doing quests is not letting loose Tifa. Have you ever dated?"_

_"I…no," she muttered, now feeling like something was wrong._

_"And there is no shame in that," Biggs quickly spoke up, his hand covering Tifa's hand and he gave her a reassuring smile. "You were 15 when you came here, right?"_

_Tifa nodded. "And not everyone meets someone straight away. Though Cloud does have a special place."_

_"He's a friend," she told him, her cheeks hot._

_"And we know that. But you are hot, and he is hot, and you are both hot for each other so hello, get it on," Jessie waved her hands around. "The sexual tension between the two of you is making me frustrated."_

_"You're always frustrated," Biggs countered, making Jessie gasp in outrage while Tifa had to giggle, a warmth spreading in her chest._

_"That's beside the point," Jessie turned to Tifa, who smiled._

_"I thought it was the point," Biggs muttered, taking a sip of his drink as he got the evil eye from Jessie._

_"Cloud is clearly into you and you're clearly into him if the way you look at him is any indication."_

_"Jessie," Tifa sighed._

_"I know, I know, relationships and partners are the last things on your mind," Jessie waved a hand, "but since you and Cloud are childhood friends…" she trailed off suggestively, making Tifa's cheeks flame up._

_"Jessie, nothing is going on between Cloud and me," she reminded._

_"Hey, there is no harm in being prepared," Jessie remarked with a shrug of her shoulders._   
_"Oy," Biggs shook his head._

_"What, you don't think she should be prepared just in case Cloud gets the guts to ask her out?"_

_Biggs went to say something but then a thoughtful look crossed his face and he turned to look at Tifa, whose eyes widen._

_"Biggs…"_

_"Jessie is right. The two of you are attracted to each other. Sure, you may not make a move now but it's always better to be prepared and safe rather than be unprepared and sorry."_

_"Now you're talking like you're her dad," Jessie smirked before she turned to look at Tifa. "First thing first – pleasure is not just about the guy. Make sure he pleasure you too. Too many girls let the guys get his rocks off without making them happy."_

_"What?" Tifa looked at Jessie bewildered._

_"And don't be afraid to tell Cloud what turns you on. There is nothing more than a turn off than someone not enjoying themselves. Especially when they can tell you're not enjoying yourself but you won't tell them."_

_"And barrier – always use barrier. No need to have kids so soon in your relationship," Biggs told her._

_Was it possible for her cheeks to flame even harder?_

_"And if you junction Barrier with an elemental Materia, you can get some nifty tricks out of your sex life."_

_"I…" Tifa looked at Biggs, who just facepalmed, then looked back at Jessie, "I guess?" and picked up her glass of water, needing a drink to cool herself down._

_How has she gotten into this situation again?_

_"Yep, try using quake with Barrier and he vibrates."_

_Tifa choked on her water, spluttering as she covered her mouth with her free hand._

_"You know, you could have waited until she was finished," came the dry remark from Biggs._

_"Hey! These are useful tricks for a girl to know when she is ensuring pleasure from her sexual activities," Jessie informed him before she looked at Tifa. "You should try it out on Cloud. He seems like he would be just enough for you." She winked, leaving Tifa even more confused as she wiped the back of her hand over her mouth._

_"Just remember the comfort thing goes both ways. Don't push Cloud into doing something he's not comfortable with."_

_"Hmm, Cloud does seem like the kinky type," Jessie tapped her finger to her chin, "He seems to perk up whenever Tifa praises him." She cast a sly glance in Tifa's direction, who felt her cheeks heat up again._

_"Mind you don't make the girl combust," Biggs warned Jessie wryly. "I doubt Barret would be happy to lose her."_

_"Barret needs to keep his nose out of things that don't concern him," Jessie waved her glass in Biggs' face, "Meddlesome dad."_

_"Huh?" Tifa looked between the two of them but they both refused to say anything more on the subject and she sighed softly._

_"But seriously Tifa, ask Cloud out on a date or something. You're both killing me," Jessie changed the subject._

_"Jessie!" Both Biggs and Tifa exclaimed together, making Jessie laugh, Biggs roll his eyes and Tifa bite her bottom lip._

_Even as she smiled, hiding it behind her hand, glad she had met them._

"Well, that explains some of the tricks you used," Cloud told her, kissing her shoulder, "I honestly thought it was Aerith since she was always kidnapping you."

"Cloud!" she laughed, "Aerith was not always kidnapping me."

"Felt like it," he muttered into her shoulder.

"And Aerith did teach me some tricks but it was mostly Jessie cause she liked to…er…"

"Work off stress?" came the amused reply.

"Shut up."

Cloud laughed as he kissed her shoulder before he sighed.

"I'm glad," he murmured against her skin before he pulled back at her curious hum and he smiled. "That you had friends during your 5 years in Midgar. That they cared enough to give you the talk."

"Cloud," she whispered, and he shrugged.

"I just wish I had gotten the chance to know them better."

"I know," she whispered as she moved in closer, Cloud's arms coming around her in a tight embrace and she nuzzled her face against his neck.

They stayed like that for a long moment when Cloud pulled away to grab his glass of water that had been left on the bedside table, needing a drink.

"So, did your dad give you 'The Talk'?" Cloud asked as he took a sip of his drink. Tifa smirked as she leaned in and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"No," she bit his ear lobe, "It was your mother."

Tifa laughed as Cloud spluttered on his drink, falling back onto the pillow, feeling for the first time in a long time that maybe she could think back on her old friends with fondness instead of pain.

TBC


	3. The Comfort We Hold

The Comfort We Hold

Tifa sighed as she wiped the sweat from her forehead before looking around 7th Heaven to see if there was anything else to be done.

All the counters were washed. The chairs stacked neatly. Glasses were all clean and polished, all on their shelves.

The jukebox was gleaming under the soft light, the music still playing softly in the background and she smiled as she recognized it as one of the discs Cloud had brought home, sheepishly handing it over to her with a shy smile.

The smile that always made her melt whenever she saw it.

All the dishes had been cleaned and stacked in the cupboard. The trash has been taken out. The dartboard carefully cleaned, and the darts checked for imperfection.

The windows were cleaned, and every bulb was in working condition. She even checked her doors, ensuring they were still sturdy – thanks to a few punters being thrown out after a few rowdy nights – and hinges were moving smoothly.

Tifa wiped her hands before smoothing down her skirt and sighed as she turned around, the pinball machine catching her attention and she felt heat flush her cheeks.

She still could not believe the night before with Cloud pressed up against her back, helping her to navigate the pinball machine.

She could not believe how competitive she had gotten when she saw that Biggs had beaten her high score and decided to play the game, getting frustrated when she kept losing her focus.

So, Cloud had decided that pressing his front up against her back – letting her feel just how firm he was under those baggy clothes – and his warm calloused hands over hers as he guided her movements.

He had teased her over not losing that competitive streak of hers that she felt like her cheeks were constantly on fire.

Especially when he placed his chin on her shoulder, their cheeks brushing each other's as he spoke to her, his voice soft and making her shiver in his embrace.

When she had finally beaten Biggs's score, she turned around in his arms with happiness only to find her eyes locked on his lips and wondered – not for the first time – just how it would feel to have them pressed against hers.

With that in mind, her eyes had moved up to meet Cloud's heated gaze and all thought had fled from her mind as her breath was stolen from her.

His hands had been warm on her hips, his breath light against her lips, and she swallowed as Cloud's eyes slid down from her eyes to her lips and she swore they tingled.

Barret's voice had broken through the haze and both had stepped away from each other and the machine, flustered as she smoothed down her skirt and Cloud cleared his throat, giving Barret an unimpressed glare.

A soft Miaow caught her attention and she looked toward the door, her heart leaping for a moment before she caught herself.

 _So stupid,_ she mentally berated herself as she walked over to the doors. Of course, it was not her.

Sadness hit Tifa deep in her gut as she remembered her cat, her hand going to her stomach and she took a deep breath before opening the door to see the white cat with deep blue eyes and a pink collar and she smiled down at it.

"Hello," Tifa squatted, holding out a hand, letting the white cat sniff her fingers before it started purring and butted its head against her hand. Soft laugher escaped her as she scratched the cat behind the ears.

"Aren't you a sweetheart?" Tifa asked as she adjusted herself, sitting on the top steps that led the way into her bar and the cat followed her, climbing into her lap, and curling up.

Just like her cat used to do all the time and Tifa had to close her eyes to hold back the tears that threatened to slip free.

Her hand ran over the cat's back, just listening purr and her mind wandered to where her cat would be. Was she even still alive? Was she hurt? Was she feeling…?

"Tifa!" Wedge's voice cut into her thoughts and she opened her eyes to see Wedge standing at the bottom of the stairs with a bright smile that slowly dimmed with concern.

"Hi, Wedge." Tifa hurriedly put on a brilliant smile but Wedge just tilted his head before he slowly made his way up the stairs and sat down next to her.

"Most people don't usually look sad when they're petting a cat," Wedge slowly told her with a small smile. "It usually makes them happier, or calmer."

Tifa giggled as she turned her face down to see the cat looking up at her with those blue eyes and bit her bottom lip.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Oh, no." Tifa shook her head as she turned to face Wedge. "There is no need to bother you about it."

Wedge arched an eyebrow before he let out a small scoff, chuckling as he shook his head.

"Is this a trait from where you and Cloud lived?" He asked. Tifa frowned and Wedge snickered. "Cause you both have the same deflecting."

"Do not," Tifa countered automatically and Wedge laughed.

"That even sounded like Cloud."

Tifa shook her head as she rubbed her fingers into the cat's back, causing it to arch up into her hand and she smiled down at the purring creature before she sighed.

"You know, you don't need to keep it all locked up." Hearing those words made her look at Wedge, startled.

Wedge was not even looking at her, too busy looking out onto the street where people milled about, closing their shops, and heading home, greeting others with happy smiles and laughers.

It reminded her so much of her hometown that it felt like it pierced her heart.

Was it just a coincidence that Wedge just happened to say the words Claudia had told her? Doubt wrestled inside of her before Claudia's warm smile filled her vision and she sighed.

What harm would it do? Just to let go of one little secret.

"I had a cat, back in my hometown," Tifa slowly admitted. "She looked like her. But she had a red bandana instead of a collar."

"I had wondered," Wedge slowly said. "You always seem so comfortable around cats, but you always had this expression on your face whenever you saw one of Betty's cats. Like you were expecting something."

"I miss her," Tifa breathed out, pain making her chest tight. "She was my comfort. She was always there, you know. No matter where I went, she was right behind me."

Wedge continued to watch Tifa as she looked back out at the town but this time, the image of her hometown filled her view.

The water-tower that held so much promise stood proudly in the middle. The laughter and cheering of the children as they chased each other.

Parents calling out to their children, either to warn them or scold them that it made Tifa laugh whenever one the kids would blow a raspberry to their protective parents.

Claudia's humming as she took care of the flowers, gently teaching the children who wanted to learn more about botany.

The grumbling of her father as he argued with a Shinra worker, shaking his head as the Shinra worker tried to explain something that her father was not interested in listening to.

And there she was, on top of the water tower, her tail flicking, just watching Tifa with those deep blue eyes and Tifa smiled when she spotted her, relieved that she had not disappeared.

She watched as her cat looked down at the Shinra grunt that was standing under the water tower before she meowed and jumped down onto the Grunt's helmet, eliciting a yell of surprise as he nearly fell over in surprise and she laughed, her hand covering her mouth as she shook her head at her cat's antics.

When was the last time she allowed herself to remember her hometown this way? Instead of burning to ashes and people she once knew lying dead in a heap as they had tried to protect each other.

Tifa came out of her thoughts with a tear trickling free down her cheek and she hurriedly wiped it away, but she knew it was too late by the look on Wedge's face.

Betty's cat had moved off her lap and was now curled up between them both, resting comfortably next to Tifa's hip, the soft weight and warmth comforting.

"She was a kitten when I got her. Her mother had been killed by a wild animal and left behind a group of kittens. The other kittens went to the elderly who needed a little company. I got her."

Tifa crossed her arms over her knees, shaking her head.

"She was a pain," Tifa chuckled softly to herself. "She was constantly running into the mountains and getting sick. I was always so worried about her." Her smile faded as she rested her chin on her arms. "Still am, I guess."

"Did she pass away?" Wedge asked and Tifa stiffened before she shrugged softly.

"She was still alive when I left my hometown," she admitted softly. "I…don't know."

"You couldn't bring her with you?" Wedge tilted his head.

"I was…hurt, bad." Her voice caught in her throat as she remembered the pain, the slashing, the grief… _he was not there. He had not kept his promise._

Tears filled her eyes as she closed them. "When I woke up, I was already in Midgar, far away from everything I once knew."

"Oh, Tifa," he placed a hand on her shoulder, and she smiled weakly at him.

"It's easier to throw myself into work than it is to think about her but sometimes, when I hear one of the cats or even see Betty's cats, I can't help but be reminded of her."

"Did she have a safe place to run to?"

"She probably ran to the mountains," Tifa wiped her tears. "But she always got so sick that I can't help but wonder…"

"Tifa, you shouldn't worry the worst."

"There is a Mako Reactor in the mountains." She glanced at the shocked expression on Wedge's face and nodded. "That's why she always got sick. She would venture too close to the reactor."

"Tifa," he whispered, sympathy clear in his voice. Betty's cat lifted her head before she crawled back into Tifa's lap, obviously sensing her distress.

"There was one time I almost thought I had lost her. I had chased her into the mountains and came across someone who was checking out the reactor." It was funny, it had been so long since thought of that Turk, the one who had been called Shotgun.

"We had been trying to get down the mountains when we had been attacked and we fell. When we came to, she wasn't with us and I had thought I had lost her…" Tifa rubbed her knuckles over her chest.

"But you didn't," Wedge finished for her.

"She came out of nowhere with that miaow of hers, just looking pleased. I had been so worried that I scolded her." A breathless tearful laugh escaped her. "I wish I could just see her again."

"You still could," Wedge gently reminded but her heart seized up at the thought of going back to the once place that haunted her in her nightmares.

"Wouldn't she hate me though? I left her behind. I may have not meant to, but I still haven't gone back."

"Is there a reason why you haven't gone back?"

Silence filled the air between them as Tifa reached out, scratching the cat behind the ear, and smiling when it purred under her touch.

"I guess I am not ready to face my hometown," she whispered.

She still has not told anyone of her hometown, her history. The only thing Barret and the others knew was her parents were dead.

She knew they were curious about her past, a past that is linked with Cloud who is even more mysterious to them.

But saying it out loud meant she would have to discredit the lies that Shinra had said about Sephiroth dying as a hero in a battle when he had been the one to reduce her hometown to ash and rubble.

Even now, she still did not understand what had made him go off the deep and slaughter her family.

"Besides, why would she even wait for someone who had abandoned her in her time of need?"

The image of her cat searching the village for Tifa made her heart hurt. She knew her cat could take care of herself, could feed herself but had the winters been so harsh?

Had the monsters gotten there first? Had the mako finally taken her like it had threatened to do so all her life?

"I don't know," Wedge's voice cut in. "I think, if you loved her, she might be waiting for you."

Tifa turned her head to look at Wedge, who was smiling down at the cats milling around them and Tifa had to smile too.

A running joke around Sector 7 was that Wedge was a cat whisperer, but she thought there was something in that rumor. She had never seen cats take to people as they did to Wedge.

"Cats taught me they are loyal. Once they think you are worthy, there isn't much they wouldn't do for you."

Just like Wedge, Tifa thought fondly, and Wedge turned to face her with a bright smile.

"And it sounds like your cat is just like you. Resourceful."

_"Your cat is just like you, Tifa," she heard young Cloud say with laughter in his voice, "Always getting into trouble."_

"You mean stubborn," Tifa corrected with a soft laugh as she rubbed her cheek.

"Nah, I mean resourceful," Wedge shook his head. "You always seem to have a knack of turning things around, seeing things we don't see, and turning it to your advantage. Just like a cat."

Tifa giggled as she thought about it. "And you can be pretty elusive too, just like a cat."

"Wedge," Tifa turned to look at him, stunned.

"You are warm and comforting Tifa. You are always there when we need you. Just remember it goes both ways. Just like with cats."

Tifa stared at Wedge before a soft smile touched her lips.

"Okay, I'll try," she told him, making no promises but it did not seem to matter to Wedge as he clapped his hands together.

"Great! Now, can we talk about Cloud?" The pout he gave her was nearly enough to send her into a laughing fit.

She had been expecting Wedge to corner her at some point for information on Cloud. She just had not expected this tactic.

"Tifa," Cloud's voice caught her attention and she turned to see him standing at the bottom of the steps and smiled at him.

"You're back."

His lips twitched in a familiar small smile.

"Yeah, I'm back," he agreed, nodding toward Wedge who waved enthusiastically at the blond before his eyes wandered all over the cats then narrowed on the white cat in her lap.

She watched as his face softened for a fraction of a moment before his mask slipped back into place as he looked up at her.

"Do you want me to walk you back home?"

Warmth flooded her chest and she smiled, nodding to him.

"That would be nice," she told him before she gently lifted the cat off her lap and placed her onto the floor next to her, scoffing at the pitiful whines.

"Now, now, you'll get to see me tomorrow. Until then, you'd better get back to Betty before she sends Cloud to look for you again."

The cat protested as Tifa glanced at Cloud to see him roll his eyes and she giggled, standing up and bouncing down the stairs to reach Cloud's side then looked back at Wedge, still sitting there and watching them a smile.

"Thank you, Wedge," she told him. "You were right, it was nice to talk. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Night Tifa, Cloud." Wedge nodded.

Cloud and Tifa turned to make their way back to Stargazer's heights when soft footsteps stopped them.

"Hey, Tifa," Tifa looked back to see Wedge smiling brightly. "Remember, cats are strong and loyal," He held up his thumb, "So don't be worried about her."

Tifa stared at him and felt that little weight around her heart lighten before she giggled, smiling back at Wedge before she nodded.

"I'll try," she called back, giving him thumbs up in return and got a brilliant smile from Wedge in return before she and Cloud continued their walk, listening to Wedge gather up the cats and laugh softly when they heard Barret demand to where all the cats came from.

"Everything okay?" Cloud's voice was soft, and she nodded.

"Yeah, I was just…reminded of my cat. I guess today was a day it hit a little harder," she admitted softly. Cloud was silent for a moment before he grunted.

"Sakura, right?" Cloud asked and Tifa giggled as she bumped shoulders with Cloud.

"You remembered," she told him. Cloud rolled his eyes.

"Kind of hard not to, since she made a habit of climbing up my trousers whenever she saw me."

Memories welled up inside of Tifa and she burst out laughing, remember one memory of Sakura catching a young Cloud off guard, resulting in Cloud yelling in shock and falling over backward.

Cloud just smiled to himself, pleased to see her laughing since he came back into her life and smug when he noticed the people stopping around them just to watch the elusive Tifa Lockhart laugh.

Yeah, maybe she still had a chance with Sakura. She looked up at Cloud, saw the smile on his face for the first time since he came back into her life.

After all, Cloud made it back to her.

Tifa smiled fondly as she thought back to Wedge. She needed to make him his favorite dessert soon.

It was only fair for helping her cheer up.

TBC


	4. The Family We Gain

The Family We Gain

(this chapter went through so many different ideas)

This is more angsty than the other chapters.

Tifa hit the punching bag with an unsatisfied thud. She focused on the bag, her eyes locked on a spot, and punched it with everything she had.

But each time her punch landed, she was right back there in the Lifestream, listening to the whispers.

The insults. The accusations. The cries.

She punched harder and faster, needing to get them out of her head. To drown out the voices but nothing was working, and she gritted her teeth.

How could he have done that? Anger burned in her veins. Why did he do that? What kind of man was he if he could let that happen?

Questions ran around in her head, but no answers would come. No matter how much she racked her brain, she was left without an answer.

Did Claudia know? Did she blame her?

 _No,_ the voice whispered in her head, sounding so much like Claudia. Claudia welcomed her, opened her arms, and embraced Tifa.

 _But why hasn't she said anything?_ The voice nagged and she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath that hitched on a sob as she bit down on her bottom lip.

Why indeed and that was a question that would never be answered for those who could answer them were long gone.

The door opening broke her out of her thoughts and she turned around, a fake smile already creeping on to her face, the words _'I'm fine, Cloud'_ already forming on her lips when she stopped short at the sight of the two men she was not expecting.

Barret and Cid stood in the doorway, both looking at her with wary expressions on their faces that panic shot through her.

"Is Cloud okay?" She stepped forward, the fear of losing him so soon after the Lifestream clinging to her like a shadow.

They still did not know what kind of lasting effect it had on Cloud after being exposed to Mako that had left him in a coma, then exposed to the Lifestream.

Even though Cloud had assured her that he was feeling alright, that nothing felt off and that he had promised her that he would immediately let her know the moment something felt off, she couldn't let that fear go.

They had been through so much, lost so much that she could not help but look on the bad side, fearing that their luck was going to run out and she would lose someone else dear to her heart.

"Chill," Cid rolled his eyes as he and Barret made their way into the gym. "Cloud's fine. Sick as a dog, but he's fine."

A faint smile crossed her lips. Well, there had been one side effect of Cloud regaining himself. He had regained his motion sickness, much to his chagrin and Yuffie's happiness that she was not the only one.

"Oh," she looked away, brushing the lock of hair that fell out of her ponytail away from her eyes before she sighed and looked back at them. "Hi," she greeted them lamely.

Barret just arched an eyebrow while Cid scoffed. She turned away from them and punched the bag once more,

"Cloud said you needed to talk," Barret took a seat on the bench.

"Really?" her voice was curt as she punched harder. "Did he say anything else?"

"That he wasn't the best person for you to talk to," Cid confirmed, and a bitter laugh escaped Tifa as she combo the bag.

"Of course, he did."

"Do you want to talk?" Barret's tone was soft.

Tifa sighed as she wrapped her arms around the bag, leaning her body against it and resting her forehead against the material.

"I found out something about my dad and I am not sure how to take it."

Tifa closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she tried to hold onto her frayed nerves.

She slowly let go of the bag and turned around to see Cid and Barret sharing a look before they turned to her.

"You don't talk much about your parents," Barret whispered.

"They're dead. What more is there is to talk about?" she started pulling off her gloves.

"A lot since you're always talking to Cloud about them. I guess it's easier because he knew them." Cid gave her a knowing look that made her turn her head away.

"It was a long time ago." She shook her head.

"Nanaki also mentioned what happened in Shinra's Mansion."

Tifa's breath was stolen from her as her head snapped up to look at them, to see the knowing look on their faces.

"Oh," she whispered the swallowed thickly, guilt slicing through her.

"Yeah, _oh,_ " replied Cid flatly. "Cloud wasn't impressed, that's for sure."

Tifa hissed under her breath, looking away and closing her eyes.

"It was just a stupid mirage."

"Stupid huh? Then why did it shake you up?" Cid asked and Tifa sighed, shaking her head before she was transported back to Shinra's Mansion.

_"Where do we even start looking?" Barret asked as they made their way into the entranceway of the mansion. "It looks like a big place."_

_"There is a good chance that Sephiroth might be down the stairs," Cloud remarked._

_"But he could also be anywhere else," Aerith pointed out._

_"We should split up," Tifa stepped forward, shivering at the cold, and rubbing her arms before she turned to look at Cloud, whose eyebrows were quirked. "It'd be quicker and easier for us to navigate."_

_"Alright," Cloud sighed and shook his head, "Tifa, you'll come-"_

_"Nanaki, wanna come with me?" Tifa cut Cloud off as she turned around to took at their feline partner._

_"Er…" Nanaki looked between her and Cloud before tilting his head, "Sure."_

_"Tifa, I don't think…"_

_"It will be fine, Cloud," She assured him with a sweet smile, watching as he started to pout. "Besides, this is a big place and the sooner we get through it, the sooner we get out of here."_

_"Which is why you're probably better off coming with me."_

_"But if you take Aerith, you can search the basement. Yuffie and Barret can search this lower half and I can search up the stairs with Nanaki."_

_"Tifa," Cloud tried again._

_"We will be fine, Cloud," she cut him off with a hand on his elbow. "Nanaki and I can take care of ourselves."_

_She stepped away and turned to Nanaki. "Ready?"_

_"Okay." Nanaki nodded and followed her up the stairs, mindful of the stairs while Tifa could hear Cloud grumbling behind her and feel the weight of his eyes on her back._

_"You know he is going to complain about this," Nanaki warned her._

_"I know," she whispered but she could not be alone with him, not in their hometown, not with their memories mixing and making their emotions flare-up._

_They had always been close, maybe too close for comfort, but Nibelheim was making them push closer to the line drawn in the sand and she could not be alone with him._

_It was getting far too easy to fall for him again and she needed her wits around her, especially in a place that featured in her nightmares._

_The darkness of the hallway made her come out of her thoughts and she wondered if there was something supernatural was at work as Nanaki's tail was not enough light._

_"Thunder," she whispered as she held up her hand and watched as a small ball of lightning form in her hand, growing brighter but no bigger._

_"Hmm, impressive," Nanaki admired. Tifa smiled softly._

_"I knew someone who was experimental with Materia. This was one of the tricks she taught."_

_"Knew?" Nanaki asked softly and she nodded._

_"Yeah."_

_Silence filled the air between them as they made their way toward the hallway then Tifa stopped, looking up and down the hallway before she sighed._

_"We'll check out one side and make our way to the other," Tifa told him. Nanaki nodded._

_"Well, I don't smell anything unusual up here, so I say we go to the left first."_

_"Alright," she exhaled before they made their way through the hallway. The stairs creaked under their footsteps. The shadows danced and the crackles from the lightening only heightened her tension._

_A brush at her cheek made her stop and she heard Nanaki growl, his hackles raising before there was a presence behind her._

_"Why…what an interesting surprise…" Sephiroth's voice filled her ears, filling her veins with ice. "You'd make a lovely present…"_

_Tifa spun around, her free hand curled into a fist and the one holding the lighting ready to throw it when she met nothing but air and darkness._

_"So quick," the voice brushed her from behind and she stiffened. "Did you like the gift I gave you?"_

_Her chest ached with the memory. Her anger burned through her veins._

_"Would you like another one?" the familiar sound of sharp steel had Tifa dodging, rolling until she back on her feet and looked at the spot where she stood._

_Empty._

_Letting out a frustrated grunt, she moved closer to Nanaki, who was still growling._

_"Is he here?" she asked him, holding out the ball of lightning._

_"I can't smell him," Nanaki admitted, his ears perked and listening._

_"A memory then," She muttered under her breath._

_"A memory we're both sharing?" Nanaki asked._

_"There is a lot of myths connected to this place," She explained, "Horror stories passed down the years."_

_"I am not a memory," his voice filled the air around them and she heard Nanaki's sharp intake while she stiffened again. "I will never be a memory." There was a soft chuckle. "I leave you, with my gift."_

_A soft breeze brushed against her face and she shivered only tensed when she heard whispers in familiar voices._

_**"Daughter, how many times I have I told you to stay out of this place?"** _

_**"This place is not safe, you should leave,"** another agreed._

_**"You know of the horrors, the stories, yet you ventured in here?"** _

_"Tifa?" she heard Nanaki asked._

_"I walk my path," Tifa called out to the whispers, willing them to stop._

_**'What are you doing Tifa?'** her father's voice whispered in the air around her and she stiffened. **'Don't put yourself out for that boy. He's not worth it.'**_

_**'He left us. He let us burn. He let you get hurt.'** Another voice whispered._

_**'He doesn't care. He never cared. All he wanted was to get out. To get power. To be like him.'** _

_"Cloud is nothing like him," Tifa spoke through clenched teeth, her fingers curled tight._

_**'He is trouble, you are better off without him.'** _

_The pain started up in her chest as her father's voice continued to cut through her like glass._

_"Tifa," Nanaki's voice sounded distant._

_"How can you say that?" she asked, hurt and disbelief. "Cloud has done nothing to you. He has hurt no-one."_

_**'He almost led you to your death!'** her father hissed, and her anger snapped._

_"ENOUGH!" she shouted. The voices disappeared sharply, leaving her mind unclouded and she exhaled._

_"Tifa?" Nanaki cocked his head, listening intently before shaking. "I do not hear the voices anymore."_

_"Whispers from the past," she told him as she looked around the mansion. "Ghosts of those who still linger here."_

_"Are you okay?" Nanaki asked. Tifa sighed as she rolled her shoulders and determination set in her face._

_"I will be," she swore, refusing to let their words get to her and she walked forward with Nanaki by her side._

"If it makes you feel any better, Nanaki didn't want to tell us what happened," Barret told her, cutting into her thoughts and she looked at him. "Aerith demanded to know what happened because she sensed something was wrong."

"Aerith did?" Tifa asked, surprised and Barret smiled as he nodded.

"Pried it out of Nanaki. Of course, she got all upset that happened to you while Cloud was quite interesting in trying to hide his jealously over Aerith getting protective and worked up."

Tifa felt her cheeks heat up at the image before she sighed, shaking her head.

"Cloud nearly kicked up a fuss," Cid remarked with a smirk. "I thought he was going to kick down the door and storm after you."

Tifa just bit her bottom lip as she tilted her head back, trying not to smile at the image.

"That is why I never told him," she whispered. "I knew he would worry."

"And it sounds like the boy had a good reason to be," Barret remarked gruffly.

"Cloud had enough to worry about without worrying about me," Tifa countered softly. "You saw him."

"Yeah, we saw him. Worried to death whenever it came to you," Cid pointed out.

"I never wanted him to worry."

"Tifa, I doubt Cloud will ever stop worrying about you," Cid cut in, 'Especially considering the fact you worry over him. Face it, the pair of you are worry-warts when it comes to each other."

"I just…" Tifa let out a frustrated hiss, "It never made sense, the whispers. That's why I never said anything."

"Until the Lifestream." Barret's voice was enough to make Tifa pause then she gave a short nod.

"I just…everything makes sense now and I just can't believe how blind I had been, and I feel so stupid because Cloud was the one who paid the price."

"Tifa, what…"

"He blamed him!" Tifa spun around to look at Barret and Cid. "My father blamed Cloud!"

She watched as the two of them looked at her, confused and she took a deep breath, steeling her nerves. She needed to do this.

"When I was 8, I lost my mother to an illness." She felt uncomfortable opening herself up like this, exposing the vulnerableness that lay beneath her armor but…it was Barret and Cid.

The two of them had been there for her when she needed them. They had suffered their loss. They had helped her when it came to her losing Cloud and supported her when she decided to stay behind with Cloud.

"I…I explained there was a legend regarding Mt. Nibel."

"Yeah," Barret nodded, "You said that the ghosts go to the other side of the mountains."

"And Cloud said that you could travel the mountain to the other side, to meet them." His blue eyes narrowed as Barret inhaled sharply. "That's why Spikey wasn't happy about you wanting to cross the bridge."

Tifa nodded, wrapping her arm across her stomach, her hand clasping around her elbow.

"I was upset, grieving for my mother when I remembered the legend. So, I decided to cross the mountains, to see her again."

"Tifa," Barret breathed out, Tifa gripped her elbow harder.

"The bridge broke and I fell." She closed her eyes and shook her head. "Cloud…Cloud tried to save me, and he fell in with me. I don't remember anything after that because I was in a coma."

"Tifa…"

"But when I came out of it, Cloud started ignoring me," she looked up at them. "I…it stung, I called him out on it." She laughed bitterly. "My father blamed Cloud, a 9-year-old child for my accident. He accused Cloud of bringing me to a dangerous place."

"What?" Barret asked. Tifa shook her head, her nails digging into her flesh.

"I saw it, in Cloud's memories. He got away with scrapes knees while I was in a coma and they blamed him for leading me to the mountains." She gritted her teeth. "Cloud was the only one to follow me, to try and protect me."

"Tifa, if your father had just lost your mother, then he was grieving," Cid pointed out. Tifa just scoffed scornfully.

"He left him."

Silence descended on Barret and Cid.

"They left Cloud, with scraped knees, on the mountains. I…" Anger burned inside of her as she shook her head, tears burning her eyes. "I love my father but right now, I hate him. I hate him for his treatment of Cloud. I hate him for being so deep in his grief that he accused and blamed another child for something that was my fault."

"Tifa," Barret's voice was soft as he stared at her with tears in his eyes.

"And I know I shouldn't be angry because he was worried about me. But what excuse is there for leaving another child behind?!"

"What does Cloud say?" Cid asked as he pulled out a smoke, sticking in his mouth and was about to pull out his lighter when he caught the disapproving look from Tifa.

With a huff, he pulled his smoke out of his mouth and stuck it back in his pocket, grumbling about nagging women under his breath.

"Cloud's Cloud," she remarked, getting an amused smile from Barret and an eye-roll from Cid.

"He says there's nothing to worry about," Barret guessed and Tifa nodded.

"I had it out with him for not telling me, but he said it was a long time ago, and dad was just being protective of me."

"Sounds like the boy," Cid grumbled as he crossed his arms, shaking his head.

"I'm just…" she sighed shakily, shaking her head, "I'm angry."

Silence descended on all of them as Tifa clenched her hands into tight fists.

"At whom?" asked Barret.

Tifa bit her bottom lip, trying to sort out her thoughts. Who was she angry at? Then it dawned on her, the nagging at her heart and she sighed.

"Me," she whispered then shrugged. "I should have known something was wrong. Cloud started ignoring me, avoiding me, and my dad warned me to stay away from him."

"Tifa, you were just a kid," Barret told her. "You shouldn't blame yourself." Tears filled Tifa's eyes.

"But it was because of me that Cloud got hurt and was blamed by my dad." She wiped at her eyes. "I just wish he had told me. I would have cleared it up if I had known. I would have never let my father continue to think that Cloud had hurt me."

"Tifa…" Barret stood up.

"Cloud would have never hurt me, ever. He was never like that! So, I don't understand why my dad would have done this!"

"Hey," Barret drew Tifa into a hug, holding her close as she broke down into his chest and Cid sighed sadly, his hand reaching over to smooth back Tifa's hair, comforting her in his way as he looked up at Barret.

They both knew it was more than just her father. Tifa had been slowly breaking throughout their travels and the Lifestream and her father had just been the last straw.

They couldn't imagine what it must have been like for her to discover the truth of what had happened when she was younger, to know that people had held Cloud – 9 years old – accountable for her accident.

They knew Tifa tended to take everything onto her shoulders.

Cid gave Barret a wry smile when they remember who else they had on their team that was the same.

"The two of you are too much alike," Barret grumbled as he held Tifa close to his body. "You take on everything."

"Sorry," Tifa sniffled.

"There's nothing to be sorry about," Cid grumbled, "Just stop taking everything onto your shoulders and start realizing that there are others around to help you."

The only answer he got was sniffles and he sighed, cupping the back of Tifa's head fondly before he looked toward the door.

"Hey Yuffie," the ninja poked her head around the door with a sheepish look on her face at being caught. "Go and get Cloud."

Yuffie nodded once, her eyes sliding over to Tifa and softening in sympathy then she turned on her heels.

"Maybe we were better off sending Nanaki," Barret muttered as Cid wrapped his arms around Tifa from behind, resting his forehead against the back of Tifa's head.

"Nah, he'll be fine," Cid told him.

"Tifa?" Cloud's voice was panicked as he came into the room, skidding to a halt when he saw Tifa wrapped up in Barret and Cid's arms. He frowned as he looked between the two men before glancing back at Yuffie, who was bent over the knees, huffing.

"Maybe next time," she huffed out, lifting her head to glare at him, "Wait until I've finished," she shook her head, "What I was trying to say."

"Did you just fucking bolt it the moment she said Tifa's name?" Cid demanded as he pulled away from the hug.

Cloud had the grace to look sheepish, his hand raised to the back of his neck and he scratched it.

"Fucking hell boy, will you learn to calm down when it comes to Tifa?"

"All I know that she came out of nowhere and said Tifa needed me," Cloud defended himself. Yuffie rolled her eyes.

"And I was going to say that you didn't need to rush because she had finally broken down," Yuffie finished, her tone snippy in the only way a younger sister could pull.

"You could have started with that you know," Cloud shot back.

Tifa smiled at the sound of Cloud bickering with Yuffie before Cid let out a growl, cutting into the bickering pair while Barret shook his head.

"Here," Barret gestured with his head and Cloud came over. Barret turned Tifa in his arms before gently moving her toward Cloud, who's arms rose automatically to embrace Tifa.

Tifa wrapped her arms around Cloud, her hands fisting at the back of his turtleneck, burying her face into his neck, and inhaled deeply.

One of Cloud's hand wrapped itself around her ponytail, cupping the back of her head while the other arm wrapped itself tightly around her waist, holding her close.

"What happened?" Cloud asked. Tifa was not sure if he was asking Cid and Barret or her.

"She talked about what happened in the Mansion," Cid replied flatly. She felt the tension release from Cloud before he nodded.

"And what happened to you when she fell into a coma," Barret finished. Cloud stiffened as he glanced at the two of them, warily.

Tifa, feeling him stiffen, shifted her head so she was comforting him, squeezing him tighter.

"He was just grieving," Cloud whispered, getting a scoff from Tifa as she buried her face into his neck.

Yuffie snorted softly from the doorway while Cid and Barret exchanged a look before Barret shook his head as they looked back at Cloud.

"You tried to protect Tifa, as a child," Cid pointed out. "He had no right to accuse you of causing her accident."

"And he had no right to keep it from Tifa," Yuffie muttered under her breath.

"What he did wasn't right, Cloud," Barret told him with a stern glare. "I don't care if he was grieving or protective or what. No father has a right to blame a child for an accident or leave an injured kid behind."

He gently ruffled Cloud's hair and Cid patted his shoulder before they left the two of them alone.

Cloud felt tears film his eyes before he bent his head down, nuzzling the side of Tifa's face.

"I think they adopted us," Tifa mumbled into his throat and Cloud let out a teary laugh.

"Hmm, I think so too." He kissed the side of her head.

"It's not so bad, is it?" She asked. "Being loved."

"No, it's not," he agreed. Tifa just hummed softly before she gave into Cloud's embrace and closed her eyes.

They had not even been looking but somehow…they managed to pick up a new family, and it filled her heart with warmth as she smiled.

Maybe, just maybe, she had found another reason to fight.

TBC


	5. The Love We Lost

A: The Love We Lost

(Past Aerith/Tifa)

Two chapters for the price of one.

Part A – Denzel's POV

Part B – Tifa's POV

Denzel rubbed his forehead as he pushed the door to 7th Heaven open with his free hand, still mulling over what he had heard while he was at Johnny's Heaven.

It should not but it troubled him deeply to hear that stranger talking about Tifa like that behind her back.

Denzel had been ready to walk up and ask the man to shut up about Tifa when Johnny had gotten there first, getting in the man's face, and dropping his friendly attitude.

He had informed that man that he was not to talk about Tifa like that, that Tifa deserved better and everyone knew that Tifa never dated him before she left Midgar.

The man had gotten red in the face, standing up tall and proclaimed that he had Tifa long before Cloud Strife had her, and there was not a damn thing Cloud do about that.

Johnny ended up throwing the man onto the street and patted Denzel on the head, a friendly smile back on his face, and told him to go home.

Home. It was funny how Home had meant different things to him. Once home had been with his parents in Sector 7.

Now, home meant Tifa's smile that was loving.

Home meant Marlene's warm hugs and words of comfort.

Home meant Cloud's quiet laughter and strength.

Home meant Barret's booming laugh and protective nature.

Home was where he was loved and accepted and that he no longer had worry like he once used to.

The sound of Tifa's humming and the soft scent of those cookies she loved baking told him where Tifa was and he followed the pathway toward the kitchen to see Tifa was glancing into the oven while drying the large platter she always put the cookies on.

"Tifa," Denzel bit his bottom lip as Tifa turned her head in his direction, a brilliant smile crossing her lips and he wondered if he was even allowed to ask such a personal question.

But…they always did say that he and Marlene could ask them anything and they would answer as honestly as they could.

Besides, didn't Tifa deserve to know that the guy was bad-mouthing her in another man's bar?

"Hey sweetheart," her soft tone filled her ears and he felt his cheeks heat up at the term of endearment she liked to use for him.

His parents never really had a name for him. His dad was always too busy with work and his mother tried to be there for him, but duties always took up her time.

Then he was left alone after the fall of sector 7, living off in the slums with the other orphans and being chased away by adults whenever they ventured too close.

Tifa had welcomed Denzel in her home, her arms, and her heart when she had told Cloud to bring Denzel home on that fateful day.

It had taken him time, but he eventually opened to Tifa, sensing the same kind of loss within her and she had been nothing but patient and loving with him.

"Are you okay?" Her voice cut into his thoughts and he looked back at her before giving her a cheeky smile.

"If I say no, do I get a cookie?" He asked. Tifa laughed as she rolled her eyes.

"You and Marlene take after Cloud way too much," she told him with him a shake of her head and Denzel did not find that to be a bad thing.

There were worse people to model after.

"But I will give you a cookie if you tell me what's on your mind," Tifa teased him and he grinned.

"Deal!" He grabbed his plate of cookies Tifa had made up while he was lost in thought before heading over to the table and at down.

Then he frowned. Could he ask Tifa what he wanted to ask her? He looked at her back as she filled out her plate. She was a private person despite her welcoming nature.

Denzel was startled to realize that he did not know much about Tifa as he thought he did. The few things he did know was overheard between low conversations between the adults and what Marlene had told him.

He chewed on his bottom lip nervously when Tifa appeared next to the table with her plate of cookies and balancing two glasses of milk.

"You can ask me anything," Tifa told him as she placed the glass of milk next to his plate of cookies.

"Did…" Denzel chewed his bottom lip, "Did you always like Cloud?" his blue eyes met hers. Tifa was startled for a moment before she tilted her head curiously before she sat down across from him.

"May I ask how this came to be?" She did not look offended or hurt or even mad – and a mad Tifa was something none of them ever wanted to see especially Cloud.

It had the funny effect of making Cloud mad and he had seen the red-head Turk complain that Cloud was being unreasonable whenever Tifa was not happy with them.

"Denzel?" Her voice cut into his thoughts and his words tumbled out.

"I was at Johnny's Heaven and there was a guy there who claimed he had you before Cloud came back into your life." His fingers clenched around his cookie in annoyance at the memories while Tifa frowned.

"Do you have a name?" Tifa asked curiosity written on her features and Denzel shrugged softly.

"Some guy named Dale-" Tifa jerked at the name.

"Dale?" she asked, cutting him off. Denzel's eyes snapped up to hers, surprised before he nodded. "Dark brown hair, brown eyes, has a gun holster strapped to his waist?" she rolled her eyes. Denzel frowned before he nodded again.

"Dale said I was in a relationship with him before Cloud?" Tifa asked and Denzel nodded again.

The last thing he expected was Tifa to start laughing. Not just the giggles he had come to know, but a deep bellyful, double-over-in-the-middle laughter.

Tears filled her eyes as her hand covered her mouth.

Denzel just gaped at Tifa, bewildered by the turn of effects. He had been expecting her to be so offended over him asking a personal question that the thought of her laughing had not even entered the equation.

"I…I didn't realize it was a funny question," Denzel told her, a smile coming to his lips as he watched her fight to regain control over her laughter, fresh bursts of giggles escaping.

"Sorry." Tifa waved her hand before wiping the tears from her eyes, shaking her head. "The thought of dating Dale-" Fresh laugher escaped her, making Denzel's brows wrinkled. He was beginning to be worried about Tifa with all the laughing she was doing.

Was it healthy for her to laugh as much as she was doing over a question?

Soon, much to Denzel's relief, Tifa's laughter started to trail off.

"Were you and Dale…" he trailed off and Tifa snickered again before clearing her throat.

"No, no," Tifa shook her head, "We were never a 'thing'." She wrinkled her nose before shuddering. "Dale and I were friends back in our home-town, but he left when we were younger. I only met back up with him when I arrived in Midgar and that was a while after I had been in Midgar too."

"Oh," Denzel frowned.

"What?" Tifa asked and Denzel winced. "Denzel." There was that tone he knew all too well. It was her ' _do not even attempt to try and lie to me_ ' tone.

She used it on Cloud whenever he tried to squirm his way out of telling her his hairier missions.

"Dale implied that you two had a relationship before Cloud came back and there wasn't anything Cloud could say or do about it."

"Oh, he did, did he?" She asked, her voice low before she sighed. "Promise me you won't tell Cloud?" Denzel smirked and got a glare from her. "I will not have Cloud picking a fight." She pointed her finger at Denzel. "And you will not pick a fight with Dale either. Leave him to me."

"Okay," he agreed, inwardly pouting over not being able to see Cloud's reaction to Dale spreading rumors about Tifa. However, had to concede to Tifa's point.

Cloud was protective of Tifa, even know he knew she could take care of herself, he still liked to be there to give her a helping hand or just glare menacingly in the back whenever Tifa was scolding someone.

"But you didn't answer my question," Denzel blurted out before he realized what he was doing and met Tifa's eyes again. "Did you always like Cloud?"

Tifa was silent for a long moment, nibbling on her cookie as she looked at him then she smiled softly.

"I," she brushed back her hair, "I had a crush on Cloud when I was younger."

Denzel blinked, his eyebrows raising. That was new. He knew Cloud and Tifa were childhood friends – they were even teased to be childhood sweetheart but Cloud and Tifa had always maintained that they were friends in their childhood, nothing more than that.

"But you always said you weren't together when you were kids."

"We weren't," she confirmed. "But that doesn't mean Cloud and I didn't have feelings for each other. We just didn't know the other felt the same."

"Oh," she smiled at his expression.

"Cloud and I…our history is complicated. I got hurt when I was younger and my father blamed Cloud. It affected Cloud deeply, but I didn't find out about it until we were older."

"Because Cloud didn't tell you?"

"Yeah," she nodded.

"So, what happened?" Denzel took a cookie and dunked it into his glass of milk. Tifa sighed as she picked up her cookie.

"Cloud said he was leaving," she smiled sadly, dunking it into her glass of milk. "He invited me to the water-tower, and I took forever to get ready because I thought he was going to ask me out." Her cheeks turned pink, "He told me then he was leaving to join Shinra to become a SOLDIER."

"…he what?" Denzel asked, flatly. Tifa laughed and he blushed, realizing how he sounded.

"You to have to understand, Cloud had a bit of a rough time," Tifa told him as her laughter settled, still smiling, "He didn't know that I liked him at the time."

"So, you always liked Cloud?" Denzel leaned forward, eager and Tifa laughed.

"Yes, I always liked Cloud."

"So, you got together during your travels?"

Tifa's smile faded and a dark look passed her eyes before she shook her head.

"No," she shrugged, "Kind of. We got together near the end of our travels."

"…Was there someone else?"

"Yes. For a short time."

"Can I ask who?" he nibbled nervously at the edge of his cookie.

"Aerith."

"That's the girl Marlene talks about, right?" Denzel asked, fully aware he was treading dangerous water. He had seen the way Cloud and Tifa would look after the woman's name was mentioned. "The one that could talk to flowers."

"Yeah," a soft smile crossed her lips, her eyes going down to the bracelets she always wore.

Denzel had noticed them shortly after he started living with them. She had a Chocobo, a Bomb, and a Flower. He had been curious to them but had held against asking her about them.

"Does the flower belong to her?" He asked and she nodded.

"She gave me the charm during our travels. Didn't like the fact I had a Chocobo one." She laughed and Denzel frowned, wondering what kind of internal joke that was.

"She sounds like she was important."

"She was," Tifa ran her thumb over her charm with a sad smile. "I lost some good friends, my home, Cloud was…" she trailed off for a moment before she sighed heavily, "different. I felt like I was losing him too. Aerith became a good friend to me, then later, more. I developed feelings for her."

"Did she feel the same?"

"Yes."

Denzel bit down onto the cookie with a soft hum as he stared at Tifa, seeing her in a new light.

Tifa smiled at him as she dunked her cookie in her milk.

"You're the first person I've told."

Denzel's eyes snapped up to look at her as she bit into her cookie.

"Really?" he felt strangely pleased with that as he dunked his cookie back into the milk then took another bite before he frowned. "What about Cloud?"

"He suspects," she told him when she finished off her cookie, brushing her fingers together, "But he never asked, and I never told."

"So…why did you tell me?" he took a sip of his milk.

"Because you asked." She told him with a soft smile.

It was that easy. Just ask her and she would tell him. He was not used to that, being told straight forward an answer.

The adults had always skirted around the topic, told him he was too young. He knew there were plenty of things Tifa and Cloud had never told him, and he wondered if they ever will.

But the knowledge that if he just asked, they would tell him.

And he wondered more about Aerith. Marlene had told him that she had been an important person in their family's life.

That when she died, it made the planet cry and find a way to stop the battles for good.

Cloud had corrected Marlene, saying that Aerith made the planet save them, because she only wanted happiness for everyone.

"Is she happy?" Denzel found himself asking. Tifa tilted her head. "Aerith?" He cleared his throat. "I mean, Marlene said Aerith is the reason Cloud came back to us, that she helped heal the stigma. So…is she happy now?"

"Yeah, she's happy," Tifa smiled. "She had lost someone before our travels, and she got to meet him again. And she got to protect us one last time."

"I'm glad." He whispered, looking down at his cookies before he bit his bottom lip. "Hey, Tifa," Tifa looked at him. "The next time you go to visit Aerith, can I come?" Tifa tilted her head curiously and he fidgeted, his fingers twisting together. "She's important to you, and I want to thank her too."

A smile crossed Tifa's lips, a smile he had never seen on her before, but it sent a warm feeling through his chest and he relaxed.

"I'll take you with me," Tifa told him and he smiled back."

"Promise?" he needed to ask.

"Promise," She swore back.

A bright smile crossed his lips and he nodded.

"It's a deal!" He told her and she giggled as she watched him devour his cookie.

Denzel watched as she looked down at her bracelet, her expression turning fond and he wondered once more.

"Do you love Aerith?" Denzel found himself asking. Tifa looked up at him, surprised and her lips parted but were interrupted at the sound of the front door unlocking and shutting then the clinking of keys meeting the dish.

Heavy footsteps that could only belong to one person made its way down the hallway and they both turned to see Cloud rounding the corner and smiling at them, pausing when he spotted them having cookies and milk.

"I'm home," he told them.

"Welcome home, Cloud," Tifa told him with a bright smile as Cloud made his way over to the table. "There are more cookies in the kitchen."

"Hmm," he kissed the side of Tifa's head, ruffling Denzel's hair and snagging a cookie off her plate with his other hand, grinning at her gasp of outrage as she slapped his arm.

"Cloud! Get your own!" She protested.

"But it tastes better off your plate." He shoved the cookie into his mouth, getting a glare from her.

"I didn't make these cookies for you to steal them off my plate," she scolded him, but Denzel could see the amusement playing in her eyes.

"Hmm, still better off your plate," he told her before he leaned and gave her a quick kiss on her lips then strode over to the kitchen.

Tifa shook her head fondly as she watched him go before, she sighed.

"So, the answer to your question." Tifa turned back to Denzel and gave him a soft smile. "Aerith will always have a place in my heart. But I love Cloud, I have always loved him." She stood up and rounded the table so she was standing next to him. "Even when he steals my cookies."

Denzel laughed as she leaned in and ruffled his hair. "Feel better?"

"Yeah," he nodded.

"Good." She kissed his forehead. "Now, go and do your homework before dinner."

Denzel let out a groan of protest even as he rolled his eyes. Tifa just rolled hers in return before she headed into the kitchen.

Denzel heard skin meeting skin and a surprised yelp coming from Cloud.

"Cloud Strife, stop eating all those cookies!"

"But you know how much I love your cookies!" Cloud protested.

Denzel rolled his eyes at the argument they always had whenever Tifa made the cookies, shaking his head when he heard another outraged gasp from Tifa and smiled to himself.

Sounded like Cloud helped himself to another cookie. It was funny, Denzel mused to himself as he made his way over to the bar, he never once thought Cloud would have such a sweet tooth.

The silence coming from the kitchen broke him out of his thoughts and he narrowed his eyes at the door before sighing and investigated the kitchen to see Cloud was softly kissing Tifa, whose hand was playing with the hair at the nape his neck, smiling into the kiss and understood.

Cloud Strife had always held her heart. Any blind man could see it.

But Tifa's heart was big enough that she could love others as well.

That is what made her Tifa, and important to all of them.

TBC

(I will do a one-shot of Denzel and Tifa visiting Aerith – promise!)

And yeah, this somehow ended up in Denzel's POV for some reason lol.


	6. The Love We Lost

B: The Love We Lost

(Past Aerith/Tifa)

Tifa hummed under her breath as she washed the dishes, the scent of the cookies filling the air.

Marlene and Denzel were out having fun and being kids – a long time coming in Tifa's opinion – and Cloud was currently doing a delivery, but he promised he would be home in time for dinner.

Tifa smiled at the thought. She had big plans for Cloud tonight and the kids were getting a surprise visit from Barret as he was going to take them to Costa de Sol for the weekend.

And she knew the cookies would set the mood right, providing Cloud was able to keep his hands off them, she thought wryly to herself.

The timer beeped and Tifa turned around, drying the platter as she bent over to look at the cookies through the glass into the oven and smiled softly.

Placing the platter back on the dish rack, she picked up the oven gloves and opened the oven, pulling out the tray and setting it on the hob, switching the oven off and turning back to the platter, drying it with a new tune.

The kids were going to be delighted when Barret showed up, she smiled, and Cloud was going to like her present, that is for sure.

"Tifa?" the sound of Denzel's voice broke her into her concentration, and she turned around to see Denzel standing in the doorway of the kitchen and she smiled.

"Hey sweetheart," a flushed crept on his cheeks and she bit her inner cheek. Denzel was still getting used to her term of endearment for him.

Tifa then frowned when she noticed the troubled look in his eyes and watched as he rubbed his forehead.

A brief flicker of fear crept through her, her eyes scanning for any black ink on his forehead, but relief soothed her when she did not see anything.

"Are you okay?" she asked him., watching as his gaze refocused on her before he gave her a cheeky smile.

"If I say no, do I get a cookie?" he asked, taking her aback before she rolled her eyes, laughing.

"You and Marlene take after Cloud way too much," she gently admonished him. But she could not find fault in it, even though Barret did grouse about having Mini-Cloud following him, much to her amusement.

"But," she caught his attention again, "I will give you a cookie if you tell me what's on your mind."

"Deal!" She got a bright smile as he grabbed his plate of cookies she had filled out while he was distracted and watched as he made his way out into the dining room, a small frown marring her forehead.

Denzel was a shy one, only starting to open to her and Cloud. He was closer to Marlene, probably because the two of them were closer in age.

She followed him over to the table after filling out the glasses with milk and carried her plate of cookies, watching as Denzel fiddled with one of his cookies.

"You can ask me anything," Tifa told him as she placed the glass of milk next to his plate of cookies.

"Did…" Denzel chewed his bottom lip, "Did you always like Cloud?" his blue eyes met hers. Tifa was startled for a moment before she tilted her head curiously.

"May I ask how this came to be?" she asked him, sitting across from Denzel, who started fidgeting under her eyes.

"I was at Johnny's Heaven and there was a guy there who claimed he had you before Cloud came back into your life." It was easy to see the annoyance in his mannerism, the way his fingers clenched around his cookie while Tifa frowned.

"Do you have a name?" Tifa asked, curious to who would be spreading rumors of being in a relationship before Cloud.

"Some guy named Dale-" Tifa jerked at the name.

"Dale?" she asked, cutting him off. Denzel's eyes snapped up to hers, surprised before he nodded. "Dark brown hair, brown eyes, has a gun holster strapped to his waist?" she rolled her eyes at the thought. Denzel frowned before he nodded again.

"Dale said I was in a relationship with him before Cloud?" Tifa had to ask and Denzel nodded again.

Tifa could not help it, the laughter erupted from her emitting deep from her stomach as she covered her mouth and tried to smother it. Tears leaked out the corner of her eyes.

The thought of being in a relationship was just too hilarious for Tifa to comprehend.

"I…I didn't realize it was a funny question," Denzel told her, a smile coming to his lips as he watched her fight to regain control over her laughter, fresh bursts of giggles escaping.

Shaking herself, she took a deep breath and met Denzel's worried expression.

"Sorry," She cleared her throat and a snicker slipped free. She wiped her eyes, "The thought of dating Dale-" fresh laugher escaped her as she remembered the man.

He had been awestruck at seeing her again after so long that he had tried – in his way – to woo her but she had not been interested in. He was…not Cloud, she admitted to herself ruefully as she calmed down from her laughter.

Too possessive and too smothering. She would have never been allowed a life of her own. Cloud had let her grow, trusted in her, had her back no matter what.

Cloud saw her for who she was and never put her on a pedestal. Not like what the other boys had done back in their hometown, not like what Dale had tried to do.

She worried the worried expression on Denzel's face and inwardly realized that he probably never seen her laugh as much as she did now.

"So…were you and Dale?" Denzel started and another snicker slipped free before she quickly shook her head.

"No, no," she assured him before wrinkling her nose at the thought before shuddering what her life might be like if she had gotten together with Dale. "Dale and I were friends back in our home-town, but he left when we were younger. I only met back up with him when I arrived in Midgar and that was a while after I had been in Midgar too."

"Oh," she watched as Denzel frowned and frowned herself.

"What?" he winced, and she narrowed her eyes, "Denzel." He shivered and she bit her inner cheek. She had a habit of using that tone, especially on Cloud, when someone tried to lie to her. Cloud thought he could play cute and get away with not telling her of his injuries he had gotten on his hairier missions.

"Dale implied that you two had a relationship before Cloud came back and there wasn't anything Cloud could say or do about it."

Annoyance surged through Tifa at the thought.

"Oh, he did, did he?" She asked, her voice low before she sighed. "Promise me you won't tell Cloud?" Denzel smirked and she glared at him. "I will not have Cloud picking a fight." She pointed her finger at Denzel. "And you will not pick a fight with Dale either. Leave him to me."

"Okay," Denzel agreed sullenly, and she shook her head. She knew that he was disappointed that he would not get to see Cloud's reaction to Dale spreading rumors about her but that was fine by her.

Denzel had never seen Cloud when he was angry and anything with her was considered as a sore point with Cloud.

It would be better for her to handle Dale and not Cloud.

"But you didn't answer my question," Denzel blurted out. Tifa watched as he met her eyes nervously. "Did you always like Cloud?"

Tifa was silent for a long moment, nibbling on her cookie as she looked at him then she smiled softly.

"I always had a crush on Cloud," she felt her cheeks heat up and saw the surprise in Denzel's eyes.

"But you always said you weren't together when you were kids."

"We weren't," she confirmed. "But that doesn't mean Cloud and I didn't have feelings for each other. We just didn't know the other felt the same."

"Oh," the wonder on the boy's face made her smile.

"Cloud and I…our history is complicated. I got hurt when I was younger and my father blamed Cloud. It affected Cloud deeply, but I didn't find out about it until we were older."

"Because Cloud didn't tell you?"

Well, well, Denzel was getting far more perceptive of Cloud than any of them realized and she smothered her smile, inwardly wondering how Cloud would feel knowing their son knew Cloud that well.

"Yeah," She nodded.

"So, what happened?" Denzel picked up his cookie, dunking it in his milk.

Tifa sighed as she picked up her cookie.

"Cloud said he was leaving," she smiled sadly, dunking her cookie into her milk as she thought back. She remembered being excited and torn over what to wear.

Would he have liked the white dress instead of the blue one? Should she go with the blue one because it reminded her of his eyes? She had fussed with her hair, going through with putting it up only to let it down.

Listening out for her father as she carefully climbed down the stairs, carrying her heels in her hands.

The butterflies in her stomach, her heart pounding, her hands sweating with excitement.

They had been flirting lightly. Not enough for her father to notice but enough for her to believe that Cloud had been interested in her then he asked her to meet him at the water tower.

Everyone knew what the water tower meant. You met there to start a relationship.

She had been eagerly wondering if she was going to receive her first kiss that night.

"He invited me to the water-tower, and I took forever to get ready because I thought he was going to ask me out." Her cheeks turned pink, "He told me then he was leaving to join Shinra to become a SOLDIER."

"…he what?" Denzel asked, flatly. Tifa laughed at how he sounded, and Denzel blushed.

"You to need to understand, Cloud had a bit of a rough time," Tifa told him as her laughter settled, smiling, "He didn't know that I liked him at the time."

"So, you always liked Cloud?" Denzel leaned forward, eager and Tifa giggled.

"Yes, I always liked Cloud."

"So, you got together during your travels?"

Tifa felt her smile fading, the image of sweet pink lips, bright green eyes, and thick brown hair filled her mind before she swallowed the lump that formed in her throat and shook her head.

"No," wait – that was a lie, she shrugged, "Kind of?" she cleared her throat. "We got together near the end of our travels." There – that was the truth, even though she and Cloud had flitted too close to the line drawn in the sand between them, their emotions mixing, the lingering touches, and unspoken desire in their eyes.

"…was there someone else?" Denzel's voice was hesitating, and she closed her eyes.

"Yes. For a short time."

"Can I ask who?"

"Aerith." Her name felt like glass on her lips as tears stung the back of her eyes. She remembered what it was like, to be embraced by the flower girl, to have her lips pressed against hers, their bodies fitting like pieces of a puzzle.

She fitted Aerith differently than she fitted Cloud, but she still fitted Aerith perfectly.

Tifa's smile faded and a dark look passed her eyes before she shook her head.

"That's the girl Marlene talks about, right?" Denzel asked, "The one that could talk to flowers."

"Yeah," a soft smile crossed her lips, her eyes going down to the bracelets she always wore, she gently rubbed her thumb over the flower charm.

"Does the flower belong to her?" he asked, and she noticed his eyes on her bracelets and nodded.

"She gave me the charm during our travels." She smiled. "Didn't like the fact I had a Chocobo one." She laughed, remembering the pout on Aerith's lips when she had admired Tifa's bracelet only to see the Chocobo.

"She sounds like she was important."

"She was. I lost some good friends, my home, Cloud was…" she remembered the distance between them, the headaches that plagued Cloud, the different memories and sighed heavily, "different. I felt like I was losing him too." She shook her head "Aerith become a good friend to me, then later, more. I developed feelings for her."

"Did she feel the same?" Tifa smiled.

"Yes."

She watched as Denzel bit down onto his cookie with a soft hum as she dunked her cookie into her milk.

"You're the first person I've told," she admitted.

Denzel's eyes snapped up to meet hers in surprise as she bit into her cookie.

"Really?" she could see that he seemed pleased as she nodded before he frowned. "What about Cloud?"

"He suspects," Tifa admitted as she rested her chin on her palm, thinking back.

After they had lost Aerith, she had been deeply grieved. More than she had been over the loss of Sector 7 and Avalanche. Losing Aerith had cut her deep.

Cloud had tried his best to be there for her, even with his guilt and grief and overwhelming headaches.

Even after the Lifestream, he had not approached her about her relationship with Aerith, just little comments about Aerith stealing her away whenever she had the chance. "But he never asked, and I never told."

"So…why did you tell me?" he took a sip of his milk.

"Because you asked." She told him with a soft smile.

Tifa watched as understanding dawned on him. She knew he still had issues coming to her and Cloud, being able to just ask them a question. She remembered what it was like with her father, not being able to ask him anything, being told that he would tell her when she got older.

That was why she had formed a close bond with Claudia. She had not been afraid to ask Claudia anything and Claudia had been more than happy to talk to her.

"Is she happy?" Denzel's voice broke the silence. Tifa tilted her head. "Aerith?" He cleared his throat. "I mean, Marlene said Aerith is the reason Cloud came back to us, that she helped heal the stigma. So…is she happy now?"

Tifa thought back to what Cloud had told her, seeing Aerith telling them that everything was alright now. That she was with Zack again and she smiled.

"Yeah, she's happy. She had lost someone before our travels, and she got to meet him again. And she got to protect us one last time."

"I'm glad," Denzel whispered before he bit his bottom lip and she bit her inner cheek. He had picked up that habit from her. "Hey, Tifa?" She tilted her head. "The next time you go and visit Aerith, can I come?"

She watched as he twisted his fingers together. "She's important to you, and I want to thank her too."

A warmth started up in her heart and she nodded.

"I'll take you with me." He smiled brightly.

"Promise?" she giggled at his suspicious tone.

"Promise." She swore.

"It's a deal!" his smile was bright and cheerful, and she giggled as he devoured his cookie.

Tifa looked down at her bracelet once more, rubbing her thumb over the charm and flashed back to when Aerith had given her the charm.

_"Here!" a bright cheery voice cut into her thoughts and she looked up to see Aerith was holding out her fist._

_"What?" Tifa was curious about what Aerith wanted her to do. Aerith giggled as she sat down on the soft grass next to Tifa, their shoulders rubbing together before she turned and held out her fist again._

_"Hold out your hands."_

_Tifa did what she was told, cupping her hands, and watched as Aerith opened her fist and a thin silver chain dropped into Tifa's hands, her fingers curling automatically around the jewelry before she registered it._

_"Aerith…" Tifa picked up the bracelet to see the flower charm attached to it, a smile touching her lips as she looked at Aerith._

_"I noticed your charms." Aerith gently touched the bracelet, "And got a little jealous you have one of a Chocobo and not of a flower."_

_"Aerith," she felt her cheeks heat up as she glanced at the Chocobo charm she had._

_"And I saw this charm and I thought 'why not!'."_

_Tifa giggled before she held the charm out to Aerith, who took it, then held out her wrist._

_"Can you put it on?" she asked. Aerith smiled brightly that it made Tifa's heart clench before Aerith nodded and leaned forward, her fingers brushing Tifa's wrists as she clasped the bracelet._

_Tifa brought her wrist to her face and twisted her wrist, making the bracelet jingle lightly, the rose gold and silver flower glinting in the sunlight._

_A fitting expression of the flower girl who was slowly being to creep her way into Tifa's heart and she looked into Aerith's green eyes._

_"It's beautiful Aerith. Thank you."_

_"Just like you," came from Aerith, making Tifa stutter, her eyes widening as she stared at Aerith, who smiled mischievously._

_"Aerith," she rolled her eyes and swatted Aerith's shoulder lightly before they leaned against each other, Aerith resting her head on Tifa's shoulder._

_Tifa felt Aerith lace their hands together and looked down to see Aerith was playing with Tifa's fingers._

_"You know I love you, right?" Aerith asked, her voice low and Tifa nodded._

_"Yeah, I love you too," Tifa told her. Aerith scoffed as she lifted her head to meet Tifa's curious one._

_"You are an oblivious one, aren't cha?" Aerith teased, making Tifa frowned._

_"I don't understand…"_

_Aerith leaned in, gently pressing her lips against Tifa. Tifa's eyes widened in surprise before they closed, and she leaned into Aerith's lips._

_They were just as soft as they looked and they tasted faintly of vanilla, when Aerith pulled away, leaving Tifa breathless as she opened her eyes._

_"Hmm, I got your first kiss," Aerith licked her bottom lip and gave Tifa a smug smile, who flushed bright red as she realized that she needed to confess something._

_"Actually," Tifa felt her cheeks burn harder under Aerith's incredulous stare before she gasped._

_"No way! Cloud beat me to your first kiss?!" She demanded. "That jerk!"_

_"Aerith," Tifa rolled her eyes._

_"When did he kiss you? How did I miss that?"_

_"Probably because **I** kissed him, back in our hometown," Tifa brushed their shoulders together with amusement in her voice. "It was when he was leaving to go to Midgar. I gave him a kiss for good luck."_

_"Lucky boy," Aerith muttered._

_"Aerith," Tifa cast her a side-glance, watching as Aerith's cheeks puffed out as she huffed and she laughed, shaking her head._

_"At least I got your second kiss," a mischievous smile crossed Aerith's lips, "Cloud can go and suck on an egg."_

_The startled laugher from Tifa rang around the group, startling them all into looking at her but for the first time in a while, she felt like she was free._

"Did you love Aerith?" Denzel's voice cut into her thoughts and she looked up at him, surprised before she went to say something when they heard the front door unlock then shutting before a clinking of keys meeting dish on the sideboard.

Warmth flooded through her at the sound of his heavy footsteps and she turned to see Cloud rounding the corner with a soft smile on his face, pausing in the doorway.

"I'm home," he told them, his eyes scanning hers and she smiled.

"Welcome home Cloud."

Cloud made his way over to them, eyeing her plate of cookies. "There are more cookies in the kitchen."

"Hmm," he kissed the side of her head, ruffling Denzel's hair before she caught him snagging a cookie off her place.

"Cloud!" She slapped his arm, "Get your own!"

"But it tastes better off your plate," he shoved the cookie into his mouth as she glared at him.

Denzel snickered as he watched the two of them.

"I didn't make those cookies for you to steal them off my plate," she scolded him, inwardly pleased to see him playful. It meant he had an easy job today.

"Hmm, still better off your plate," he told her as he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her lips, making her melt into his touch and her heart flutter before he pulled away, nuzzling their noses together then made his way into the kitchen.

She sighed happily as she watched him go, no doubt eager to eat as much of the cookies as he could.

"So, the answer to your question," she returned to Denzel and smiled. "Aerith will always have a place in my heart. But I love Cloud, I have always loved him." She stood up so she was standing next to him. "Even when he steals my cookies."

Denzel laughed and she ruffled his hair. "Feel better?"

"Yeah," he nodded.

"Good." She kissed his forehead. "Now, go and do your homework before dinner."

Denzel let out a groan of protest, rolling his eyes. Tifa just rolled hers in return before she headed into the kitchen.

There she came upon Cloud scoffing most of the cookies and slapped his shoulder.

"Cloud Strife, stop eating all those cookies!"

He turned to her with a caught expression.

"But you know how much I love your cookies," he protested, and she rolled her eyes.

"And it's a wonder you and Marlene haven't turned into sugar cookies by now," she retorted, getting an amused smirk in response before she watched – with her very eyes – as Cloud scoffed another cookie, getting a gasp from her.

"Cloud!" she protested.

"Tifa," he teased as he leaned in and kissed her. She rolled her eyes but smiled into his kiss, her hands going to his shoulders before sliding into his hair as his hands slid over her hips and up her back.

Tifa slowly broke the kiss, leaning into him as she looked up at him and gave him a soft smile.

"I have a surprise for you tonight," she told him and watched as his eyes lit up before she nuzzled their noses together.

Yeah, Cloud Strife owned her heart. She kissed him again. But there was always a place for Aerith, always.

TBC

I had written it in Denzel's POV first then wrote this chapter because it was meant to be following Tifa's POV but I liked Denzel's too much so I decided to give you both of them instead of just the one.

I hope you liked them either way.

(And yes, I will write a spin-off of Denzel and Tifa visiting Aerith at some point.)


	7. The Ones We Love

The Ones We Love

(Smut)

One more thing – thank you so much, Sector 69.

(And don't kill me ;D)

Soft fluttering against her neck woke her up. Soft breathing against her shoulder and soft brushing of his eyelashes against her neck made her sigh with happiness.

She loved waking up in his arms, his chest pressed against her back. His arm around her waist and the other under his pillow.

Tifa slowly turned around in his embrace, setting to look up into his sleeping face and smiled softly.

She did not think she would get to see him looking like this after their travels. With his headaches and their distance and her confusion and not wanting to push him.

Now…she lifted a hand, gently touching his cheek with the tip of her fingers before gliding down to his bottom lip.

He was sleeping peacefully.

His lips pressed against her fingertips and she looked up to see him slowing opening his eyes, the blueness of his eyes taking her breath away – he was always beautiful when he was waking up. She loved watching him wake up, slow and soft, just like him.

"Feeling me up, were you?"

Heat flooded her cheeks and pulled her fingers away only for Cloud to quickly grasp her hand and guided it to his chest, holding her close.

"I don't mind," he gently kissed her, and she rolled her eyes, smiling as she kissed him back.

"Such a charmer," she told him when they broke away and he sighed happily, resting his forehead against hers. "I was thinking about how much you mean to me."

"Oh?" he pulled away from her. His tone made her frown before a sadness settled in her heart.

"You still don't understand, do you?" she looked up into his blue eyes, watching as confusion entered them and his brows furrowed.

She sighed softly as she reached up one hand and cupped his cheek, rubbing her thumb before she leaned in and kissed him softly, sweetly before she pulled away, smiling when Cloud followed her.

"You don't understand what you mean to me."

Cloud paused, his eyes searching her face before he frowned.

"I know you care for me."

Tifa narrowed her eyes before she placed her hand on his chest and rolled him onto his back, following as she threw her leg over his hip, straddling him.

His eyes widen in surprise before a smirk curled his lips and his hands went to her waist only for her to shake her head and grip his wrists.

"No, it's my turn." She pinned his hands to the pillow. "You don't get to touch me."

"Tifa," he whined but she shook her head.

"Not until you listen to me."

"Tifa?"

"I'm going to make you understand just what I feel for you. And I need you to listen to me, to understand."

She watched as doubt entered his eyes before he swallowed then gave her a curt nod and it hurt her heart to see he was not confident and vowed to change it.

She let go of his wrists, trusting him not to try and touch her and one hand went to his shoulder while the other went to his hair, that hair that had always caught her attention since they were kids.

"I love your hair," she ran her hand through his soft spikes. "I used to wonder what it would feel like, running my fingers through them." A soft blush kissed her cheeks. "I even fantasized about tugging on your ponytail when I was younger."

Cloud just stared up at her, his vulnerability clear in his eyes.

Her fingers drew down to his temple and she leaned in, pressing a kiss to his forehead.

"I love your mind. How intelligent you are. You are quick-thinking and smart. You can make maps from memories and you remember everything. You know to maximize your efforts and you saved me so many times."

His breathing turned jerky as she moved down, her thumbs gently caressing his cheekbones, just under his eyes.

"And your eyes…" His eyes cut away from hers, guilty. "Look at me." She waited until he slowly brought his eyes back to hers and she smiled softly. "And your eyes are kind." She tossed her hair over her shoulder, pushing it away. "They remind so much of the boy I had a crush on."

Her thumbs trailed down over his cheeks, reaching the edge of his lips.

"And your lips," she ran her thumb over his bottom lip, gently pulling, "They drive me crazy."

His tongue snuck out, swiping at her tongue and her hips shifted on his.

"I love it when you kiss me. You have so many kisses and they tell me everything. The way you kiss me slowly, taking your time. The way you kiss me hard, demanding, crushing me as you claim me."

Tifa leaned down and kissed him once, drawing his bottom lip between her teeth and gently nibbled, eliciting a harsh moan from him.

"And I love your tongue. Your clever tongue which can be so sharp when you're angry or so soft when you're with me, sliding deep into either my mouth or between my legs."

"Shit."

"Did I ever tell you how much I love it when you eat me out?" She met his eyes, dark with lust, and felt a shiver run down her spine. "I love it when you taste me. I love the feel of your tongue sliding between my lips, the way it curls before you draw it back out. And you always like to slide it so deep as well."

"Cause you taste good," he gritted out, his hands turning so his fingers could curl into his pillow.

"And I love the way you say my name." She smiled wickedly. "You have so many variations that I just know what you need. And I like it, knowing what you want just by using my name."

She kissed him deeply this time, letting him plunge his tongue deep into her mouth, drawing a moan from her before she pulled away, gasping.

"No, no," she swallowed and shook her head, "I'm not finished."

"Let me touch you."

"No," she nipped his bottom lip, "Be a good boy." She planted a kiss on his chin before trailing kisses down his neck before she sunk her teeth into the juncture between his neck and shoulder, getting a hiss from him.

"I love your neck," her hands came up, cupping the sides of his neck. "I fit easily against you and I love to bury my nose into your neck, to smell you."

A ragged gasp came from Cloud as her fingers lightly caressed his shoulders.

"And your shoulders that always carried the world upon them, no matter how many times we tell you to lean us on to help lighten the load."

A guilty blush covered his cheeks and she smiled.

"And your arms are perfect. Strong enough to wield the fusion sword but tender enough to hold me." She pulled away and licked her bottom lip as she stared down at him. "I loved touching them when we were traveling."

Her fingers trailed down to his wrists, her fingertips circling his pulse point before caressing the palm of his hands then she brought one hand up to her mouth.

"I love your hands, so big and strong." She placed a kiss on his palm before she licked a trail from his inner wrist to the tip of his middle finger. "Especially when you give the Turks the middle finger."

Choked laughter escaped him as she smiled before sliding his finger between her lips and the laughter cut away to a soft moan, his eyes locked on her lips.

Slowly she circled her tongue around his finger before she slowly drew it from her mouth the kissed the tip of his fingertip.

"And I love when you slide your finger deep within me, teasing me, testing me, preparing me."

She brought his hand to her neck, using the wet finger to trace a line down her body, between her breasts, and over her stomach and briefly teased them both by having him lightly touch her pubic hair before pinning his wrist back onto the bed.

"I love your chest." She leaned over and pressed a kiss to his sternum. "So strong and broad." She nuzzled her way over to his heart. "And I love your heart, so big." She glanced up at him, "even when you're pretending to be aloof."

She got an eye roll for that.

"I love your protective nature, even though I may complain about it," she spread her hands over his chest, "Because it's a part of you and it makes you Cloud."

Her fingers wandered down lower, caressing the scars he had accumulated over his years of training and fighting before she reached the one that always broke her heart when she saw it.

"And I love your scars." Her fingers lightly traced it. "They are proof you are stronger than the ones who tried to break you. They are proof you fought your way back to us."

"To you," he told her, honesty clear in his eyes, "I will always fight my way back to you."

She bit her lower lip as tears filled her eyes before she leaned in and kissed him softly before she smiled, nipping his bottom lip.

"Stop trying to distract me." Cloud chuckled.

Tifa returned to her original spot and moved down lower on his thighs, her fingers caressing his abs.

"I love the way you always work out," her tongue licked a line over his stomach, her eyes glancing up at him. "I feel like you're teasing me when you work out, the sweat glistening on your body, your face tight with concentration. It always reminds me what it's like to have you over me, in me."

Another hiss escaped him as his stomach tightened under her touch and she giggled, moving lower.

One of his hands went to her hair only to tighten into a fist and he clutched it as his waist.

An idea came to Tifa and she smiled.

"If you want to touch yourself, don't let me stop you," she purred, kissing her way over the line of his hipbone. "I always love watching you touch yourself."

"Tifa," his voice came out choked.

"You're beautiful when you touch yourself. Your strong hands wrapped around your cock. The way your thumb runs around the head, smearing your fluid before you run your hand down your length."

"Shit."

He wrapped his hand around his cock, stroking himself and rubbing his thumb over his head, whimpering when she leaned in and pressed a kiss to the head before flicking her tongue.

"So beautiful."

His breath came out ragged, his hips moving in time with his hand.

"I love it when I watch you. Especially when you come all over your hand. The way your hips arch as if you cannot get enough. The way your face makes that expression when you come, that mix between pain and pleasure because I know you're squeezing, trying to prevent yourself from coming so soon yet you can't help but come."

"Tifa." His other hand went to his balls, fondling as he gasped.

"You always taste so good, Cloud. You always make me want more. To have you deep in my mouth."

"Fuck!" His head pressed down onto his pillow. She watched as he tightened his grip around his cock and licked her bottom lip as she slid a hand between her legs, encountering the wetness.

"I love your taste. I love the way you come in my mouth, over my chest, my stomach, even when you fill me up, claiming me."

"Shit, Tifa…please," his hand moved faster, and she spread his thighs, leaning in so she could watch him.

"You're beautiful," she told him again, pressing her thighs together.

The sight of his large hands around his throbbing cock made her bite her bottom lip. The way his face contorted with pleasure, the flush on his chest and she wished he could see himself the way she saw him.

A choked whimper came from him and Tifa could not take it anymore, leaning forward and slid her mouth over his hardness, sucking hard.

A choked cry came from Cloud as Tifa pressed her tongue up against him, his hand gripping the back of her head, her hair tangled in his fingers as he pulled.

Another thing she loved, he always needed to tangle his fingers in her hair whenever she went down on him, the gentle pressure that would always turn rough as he neared closer to his climax.

"Tifa," there was that tone that told her that he was coming, and she tightened her lips around him, meeting his eyes with her heavy-lidded ones and he cursed as he came down her throat.

Tifa hummed softly as she cleaned him up, making him shiver each time she passed over his sensitive member before pulling away and pressing a kiss to the tip then she slid up his body.

"Hmm, minty," she breathed against his lips before swiping at her bottom lip, collecting the leftover fluid. "You always give me so much."

"Tifa…"

"You do. You always give yourself over to me. You protect me, you support me, you love me. You never once hesitate when it comes to me, you always believe in me."

Tears glistened in his eyes.

"Do you understand now," she asked him, and his eyes darkened.

"Come here," He grabbed her by the hips, dragging her up against his body and he kissed her deeply, sitting up and pressing their upper bodies together.

Tifa gasped before she giggled, her hands sliding into his hair before he turned them around, so she was on her back, looking up at him.

His hands slid down her body, caressing and squeezing her breasts, teasing her nipples before they slid over her stomach and hips then down her thighs, curving and opening her up to him.

"Cloud," her walls squeezed helplessly against the emptiness as he pressed up against her, teasing her.

"No fair," she whispered.

"Fair," he whispered back, tilting her head back and kissing her deeply before sliding deep inside of her.

She tore her mouth away from his, panting harshly at the feel of him sliding deep within her, thick and hard, claiming herself himself.

"Yes," She breathed into his neck.

She loved the feel on him within her. He was always just that little bit big. Not enough to hurt her but enough to make her ache.

Cloud could never hurt her, no matter what anyone said or thought. Cloud loved her and it was her turn to show him how much she loved him.

Cloud groaned harshly into her ear before he started moving, slow and steady, teasing her, drawing it out.

"Cloud," She turned her head, kissing his cheek, nipping his earlobe as she held him close to her.

"Tell me what you want," he told her.

"Cloud," she gasped.

"Tell me what you want."

An idea sparked within her muddled mind and she pulled her face away from his neck, looking up into his face, tight with concentration, sweat glistening on his forehead, his spiked hair more messed up and she smiled.

"I love you," she looked into his eyes, cupping his neck as she gasped when he drove deeper. "I love all of you."

Cloud squeezed his eyes shut for a moment before he opened them, meeting her eyes with blazing blues and she felt her breath rush out of her.

"I love you too."

Tears pricked at her eyes as she felt the smile pull at her lips before she pulled him down for a kiss as he hooked one arm around her knee, opening her up and she gasped into his mouth, feeling herself teetering on the edge.

Cloud twisted his hip and her head fell back, her lips parting. His other hand came up and cupped her mouth, silencing her cries as she came around him, her walls tightening, and her pleasure crested.

She could feel Cloud stiffening as he continued to move, increasing her orgasm and her hips twisted against his, her nails raking down his back.

Cloud groaned, his forehead pressed against hers as she opened her eyes to meet his, panting.

His hand went from her mouth to the pillow, clutching it tightly.

"Come inside me," she whispered, making him groan as his hips stuttered. She cupped the side of his neck. "Please, come."

"Tifa," his tone was one of pleading.

"Let me feel you," she brushed her lips against his, "I want to feel you inside of me."

"Tifa…"

"I love it when you finish inside of me, filling me up. I love watching

you as you let go."

"Tifa," he entered deeper and she moaned, clutching his shoulders and neck, holding him close to her.

"Come for me," she bit his earlobe and Cloud out a strangled hoarse shout of her name as she felt him come inside of her, trigging her orgasm, her head falling back as her hips locked into place.

A few desperate thrusts later, Cloud slumped against her body, breathing heavily into her neck as she held him close to her, loving the feel of his weight.

"I think you just about killed me," he mumbled into her neck and she laughed softly, running her fingers through his short hair.

"What a way to go," she mumbled into his hair and she felt his huff of laugher, warmth filling her.

She was in love with the boy who captured her heart when she was a teenager, not letting go of the promise they made under a starry night sky.

TBC


	8. The Family We Lean On

The Family We Lean On

This…ended up longer than I expected

Marle wrung her hands as she paced the hallway, the sterile scent filling her nostrils as she tried to control her breathing, her eyes flicking toward the door whenever she passed it, waiting for someone to come out of the room to tell her what was going on.

Her gut tightened with nervousness and fear as she closed her eyes, praying.

It had been a long time since she prayed, long time since she had felt this way, this hopeless and helpless.

The sound of the door opening had Marle spinning around to see Cloud rubbing the back of his neck.

"Well?" Marle asked sharply as Cloud exited the room looking exhausted.

"She's fine." A tired smile crossed his face. "She's sleeping for now."

Marle closed her eyed as her hand went to her throat in a silent prayer of thanks to whatever deity was looking out for them.

She did not think she would get over the fear that surged through her when she heard the crash as the glass shattered into fine small pieces, scattering when it hit the ground.

The blood that followed, thick and red and slippery…

Her heart missed a beat then began racing as she grabbed Tifa, holding her close as her hands trembled – _trembled_ – reaching for the phone to call for help.

"You can go in and see her," Cloud's voice broke into her thoughts and Marle looked up to him to see the knowing look in his eyes.

"You said she was sleeping," Marle told him.

"But you need to see her for yourself," Cloud pointed out. "You won't disturb her. She's out cold."

Marle looked at the door where Tifa lay on a bed and hesitated.

"I should let her sleep."

"You should see her." Cloud placed a hand on the small of her back, gently pushing her forward. "See for yourself that she is alright."

She opened the door, the handle cool and real underneath her hand before the door swung open to reveal Tifa lying on the bed, a machine beeping steadily off to the side.

Marle vaguely noticed Cloud disappearing down the corridor as she stepped fully into the room, shutting the door behind her as she drank in Tifa's form.

She wished she could say that the image before her was not familiar, that it did not send her back in time, but it did, and it made her heart clench and her throat thick.

Slowly and carefully, she made her way over to the side of the bed, looking down at the still woman and sighed softly.

"My dear, dear girl," Marle whispered as she pressed her lips to Tifa's forehead, smoothing back Tifa's hair before sitting on the chair next to the bed, taking Tifa's still hand in between hers and held it to her lips.

"I remember the first time I met you," Marle told her. "All dark hair, dark eyes, and a stubborn attitude. You were scared at first, but you stuck it out, made a life for yourself."

15 years old and alone in a strange city after losing so much of her life.

Marle had not known, none of them had known until Tifa had told her, long after they had saved the world.

Cloud had known though. Cloud always knew.

She had taken Tifa under her wing, taught her how to push her emotions down, how to focus, and channel that anger.

Barret also had a hand in that, telling her to hold onto that anger, to use it to fuel her.

Cloud…Cloud had taken her to the side, had listened, had let her cry, and grieve and allowed her to let go of her emotions.

Marle shook her head. So many emotions locked up in this tiny woman who managed to slip her way into so many people's hearts.

She had once told Cloud that Tifa was the granddaughter she never had, getting a funny look from the blond in return.

It had not bothered her, but it had stuck to the back of her mind. It was not until after they had saved the planet that dawned on Marle what that funny look had been.

He wondered if she knew of Tifa's history, had known what Tifa had suffered.

Bits and pieces of it, she admitted to herself, it was hard not to hear the nightmares the young girl would suffer, begging and pleading for her father, her mother, even for the boy not to leave her.

Marle would hug and soothe Tifa when she was younger but as she grew older, more self-reliant, she did not accept comfort easily anymore, preferring to bury it down deep where no-one could reach them.

Until Cloud Strife walked back into her life; turning everything they knew about Tifa Lockhart on its head.

Vibrant and excited, Tifa would glow when she talked about Cloud. She remembered Barret's bewildered expression as he watched as Tifa came alive for the first time in 2 years he had known her.

She had been bewildered herself. 5 years she had known Tifa. 5 years of watching her throw herself into work and quests and fighting.

A smile on her face, eager to help, but never once happy. Never once letting anyone past her guard and her tight shields.

Cloud Strife slipped through those guards and shields like he was meant to.

He made her smile from within, listened to her when she needed to be heard and she let him comfort her when she needed the comfort, trusting him in a way none of them had when they first met him.

Marle rubbed Tifa's knuckles, spotting the engagement ring and wedding band on Tifa's other hand, smiling softly at the memories.

_"He finally asked you to marry him?" Marle asked as she cast an admiring eye on the ring that adorned Tifa's finger._

_"What do you mean 'finally'?" Tifa asked. "Cloud and I have been dating for a year."_

_"More like since you were kids," Marle remarked, smiling at Tifa's flushed cheeks._

_"Marle!"_

_"I may be an old woman, Tifa, but I'm neither blind nor deaf." She smirked. "I saw the way the two of you looked at each other when you reunited back in Midgar."_

_Tifa looked away, lifting the glass of water to her lips._

_"And did I mention Stargazer's Height wasn't soundproof?"_

_Water sprayed from Tifa's in shock as she coughed, her eyes wide as she stared at Marle, who cackled while Tifa covered her mouth._

_"Marle!" Tifa managed to get her coughing under control, her voice scandalized._

_"Thought you wouldn't get found out," Marle remarked with a smirk. "Besides, it's not like you're the only one who was noisy."_

_"What?!" Tifa turned to her sharply, looking at little too interested._

_"What?" Marle parroted, taking the opportunity to tease her, and got flushed cheeks in return._

_"Nothing," Tifa was quick to deny._

_Marle just chuckled, making Tifa blush harder as she took another skip of her drink._

_"Are you happy?" Marle found herself asking and Tifa blinked, looking at her before she smiled, slow and sure before she nodded._

_"I'm happy." She took Marle's hand. "Cloud makes me happy. He always did."_

_"Good." Her throat felt impossibly tight, but she managed to force the word through._

_Cloud Strife kept his promise. That was all that mattered._

**~_TWC_~**

Tifa slowly woke up, resisting the urge to stretch as she sensed a difference with her body.

The white walls and the scent of antiseptic let her know where she was, bringing back a lot of memories for her, making her nose wrinkle with displeasure.

Memories of being a young girl lost and alone and a deep scar carved into her.

Memories of looking after Cloud while he was deep in his mako coma, feeling lost and alone, grieving for her loss.

Now she was in the hospital.

Her hand felt warm and she turned her head to see Marle was sleeping the best she could on that uncomfortable chair, and it all came back to her.

Oh, she must have worried Marle that bad if she was in the room with her.

Marle, for all she was tough and gruff, was such a softy at heart. Tifa softened as she ran her thumb over Marle's knuckles. So much like many of her companions.

The door opening broke into Tifa's thoughts and she turned to see her husband opening the door, looking tired.

She could not remember the last time she had seen him this tired.

Tifa watched as Cloud carefully entered the room, his blue eyes lighting up when he saw she was awake.

"Hey," his voice was soft and hushed, slowly making his way over to her other side, leaning over to drop off a soft kiss on her lips.

Tifa hummed in response, smiling when he pulled away and nuzzled their noses together before he sat down on the other chair, taking her free hand.

"How are you feeling?" He lifted her hand, holding it close to his lips.

"Hmm, sore," she admitted, shifting her head to watch him. "How are you?"

"Tired," he admitted, and she smiled.

"You look like it." She scanned his face.

"It wasn't easy, watching you in pain." He rubbed the back of his neck and her smile softened.

"I know," she whispered, squeezing his hand. Cloud was never the best when it came to her being in pain, always needing to protect her.

Tifa glanced to the side at Marle before looking at Cloud.

"How is Marle?" Tifa asked. She watched as he looked at Marle before sighing.

"Drained probably," Cloud shook his head. "She was near hysterical when she phoned me to let me know what happened."

"That bad?" she asked. Cloud shrugged softly.

"It looked pretty bad," Cloud admitted. Tifa winced. "It took a bit to calm her down."

A guilty look crossed his face and Tifa narrowed her eyes.

"What?"

Cloud glanced over at Marle before he leaned in, lowering his voice even further.

"Yuffie might have drugged her tea."

Tifa choked on air as she stared at Cloud with wide eyes.

"Yuffie did what?" she hissed. Cloud nodded. "Why?!"

"Because she was worried about you, Tifa. She had your blood on her hands."

"I…" Tifa shook her head bewildered, "Blood?"

Cloud nodded.

"You cut yourself when you dropped your glass and you were bleeding heavily. Marle ended up trying to stem the blood." He sighed. "The paramedic said it looked bad when they walked in."

Tifa bit her bottom lip before she turned to look at Marle when a whimper started up next to Cloud, who immediately turned to the noise, fondness crossing his face.

That was a look she knew. She saw it when he would look at Marlene and Denzel. He saw it when he would look at some of their companions, even saw it herself late at night, just staring at him.

Letting her hand go, Cloud reached into the bassinette and withdrew a squirming pile of blankets, adjusting carefully so it was cradled protectively and securely in his arm.

Cloud turned to her and she smiled at the sight of him looking so happy yet so nervous that it made her heart overflown with happiness.

"How long did you practice holding?" Tifa gently teased him, knowing him. A small flush covered Cloud's cheeks as he looked away, embarrassed.

"Maybe a little," he muttered under his breath, glancing at her out the corner of his eyes.

She hummed softly, letting it go as she watched him gently rocked the blanket.

"Can't believe how much trouble this one gave us."

"Well, with us as parents, I'm not sure it could have gone any other way."

Cloud hummed thoughtfully.

"That's true, you can be troublesome yourself."

"Hey!" she mocked glared at him, getting a smirk in return. "You're just as much trouble as I am."

She got a glare from him as a result and she smirked, knowing she made her point when there was a soft knock at the door and they turned to see the door opening and a nurse standing in the doorway.

"Sorry, Mr. Strife. We need you to sign some paperwork."

 _"Now?"_ he groused. The nurse held firm and Tifa giggled at Cloud's flat look.

"You better go," Tifa told him, gently adjusting herself so she could sit up a bit, "You know what nurses are like."

Cloud grumbled as he transferred the bundle to her arms, waiting until she adjusted to the weight and gave him a soft nod before he kissed her and left, following the nurse.

Tifa watched him go before she looked down at the click of the door and smiled.

This was something she never thought would happen. Even though she and Cloud had discussed it, holding off until they were older, more secure she had still held doubts if she would ever be able to give him this.

Fighting and use of Materia did take its toll on her body. Not to mention the trauma she had endured when she was 15.

But now, their dream was real and Tifa wiped away her tears as she watched the bundle shift and stretch, sleeping away, completely at peace in Tifa's arms.

Tifa knew their family was going to go crazy when they discover the new addition.

Cloud and Tifa had decided that when she went into labor, they would keep it between them until after the birth, wanting to give Tifa time to recover and Cloud time to bond with the child before their family descended on them.

Gaia knew, once the family got a hold of the child, it might be a while before either parent saw the baby again.

A thought that brought a smile to her lips.

"Our family can't wait to see you. Marlene and Denzel are already waiting to become the best brother and sister."

Marlene and Denzel had been overcome with emotions when she and Cloud confessed to them that they were pregnant. Marlene had been over the moon with joy, hugging both.

Denzel had been a little hesitant but they both assured him that he will always have a place with them, and they would love it if he could accept the new child as a sibling but they would understand if he didn't feel ready.

It had taken time, but Denzel had come round, warming up to the idea of being a big brother.

It was different, he had told Tifa, one late night while he was curled up in her arms and both had been stargazing.

Marlene was 6 when they first met. She had been secure in her place within hers and Cloud's heart. She never once had doubts.

Denzel had lost his parents, had been an orphanage, and had lost friends because of the Geostigma.

This, he gently touched her stomach, was different. It was new and young. Vulnerable. It would be depending on them to look at them, to protect them.

Tifa had confessed she felt the same. She was excited because she was carrying a little Mini-Cloud within her – and they all knew it was a Mini-Cloud even though Cloud had protested it was more of a Mini-Tifa – but she had been worried, and scared.

They knew how dark the world could be, how dangerous. How could she be expected to bring a child into the world knowing what it was like?

But she had Marlene and Denzel to remind her of the good things in life. She had Cloud, who would bring things back from his trips that would make her light up in wonder.

Together, they would protect the child, to love and nurture them.

Denzel agreed, declaring he would be the best big brother he could be and she kissed him on the forehead before they both fell asleep under the stars, much to Cloud's worry as he lectured them the next day.

"And Barret, he's not going to know if he should be an uncle or a grandfather."

She thought about the man who had taken her under his wings after living in Midgar for three years. This gruff old man who had let her into his heart and brought Marlene to her.

He had tried, in his way, to comfort her the best he could even when filled with regret and anger.

Sure, he might have gone about it the wrong way a few times, but his heart was always in the right place and he was always there when she needed him, even if it was to scold her for being reckless.

He was not her father, but he was not her brother. He was a mix in between and Tifa was grateful at whoever had brought him into her life.

"Nanaki is eager to meet you too. He was already protecting you when you were within me, much to his confusion," Tifa laughed softly, "But he is one of the best you could ever meet."

She remembered Nanaki coming round for a visit shortly after she discovered she was pregnant and noticed that Nanaki had been extra protective of her, especially around the Turks.

It hadn't bothered her – none of them liked the Turks much, especially after Rufus had come back to the fold – and Nanaki was already protective of her but when he started growling when Reno had tried to touch her arm to get her attention, that confused them both and startled Reno into shying away, not eager to be bitten.

Later, Nanaki had admitted to them – after Cloud had gotten over his laugher when they recounted the tale to him – that he was finding himself quite protective of Tifa when Cloud just smirked, making them both confused.

It is because she is pregnant had been Cloud's statement. It slowly dawned on Tifa what Cloud had meant and Nanaki had been surprised before he sniffed her and understood.

Tifa had been embarrassed, apologizing to Nanaki who had shaken it off and said he did not mind having an excuse to finally growl at the Turks for trying to touch her, making Cloud laugh, deep and loud.

"Yuffie is going to be bouncing off the walls," Tifa sighed at the thought, remembering the exuberant girl's excitement when Tifa had told her that she was pregnant.

It had resulted in a loud squeal – making Yuffie's father pop his head into the room in surprise – and a tight hug before Yuffie started making plans on how to paint the rooms, and how many outfits Tifa would need, and just how many teddy bears could she buy the kid before it would be considered too many.

Tifa's head had been swimming with the questions but never-the-less had been happier knowing that Yuffie was excited with the newest addition.

And true to her word – Yuffie had taken her out on many outing to prepare for the baby – even turning up at the crack of dawn to drag her out of the house, resulting in Cloud grumbling that even Yuffie was joining the list of people trying to steal her away from him.

That had resulted in a playful smack to his shoulder as Yuffie dragged her away.

"Cid might be a foul-mouth grumpy jerk but don't let that fool you. The man can be soft as a teddy bear and he will love you. He is going to want to be your uncle, and he might fight Vincent for that," Tifa mused to herself.

Cid had quickly endeared himself to Tifa, taking her on as a little sister. He always had her back, supporting her when she needed it, especially when she and Cloud had been at loggerheads during their travels.

And Cid had become a close companion to her. She had confessed her fears to him, about Aerith, about Cloud, about their future and Cid had never once held it against her.

He always assured her that they would find a way, together. They always did. No matter how bleak their prospect looked, they would always find a way to achieve their dreams.

And they did.

"And Vincent…well, he might have a little hard time letting you in but no doubt, once you are in, he would protect you fiercely with everything he has."

She thought back to the young man they had discovered deep within Shinra's Mansion. Another experiment of Hojo, who had destroyed so many lives.

It had taken time for Vincent to open but in time, he had. He had become another steady presence in her life, supporting her when she needed the support

He understood the depth of her feelings for Cloud – even when she was still grappling with those feelings herself. He understood far more than any of them had realized.

And over in time, he had become a best friend and close confidant to Cloud, both knowing what it was like to be used as a tool, a means of entertainment for that sick bastard.

"Aerith…" A tear slipped free, "Aerith would love you so much. She would hum you to sleep, making you feel safe and secure in her arms. She probably would have sung too and given you flowers."

Her heart hurt at the thought of her best friend not being there to see their child.

Both Aerith and Zack had gone into the Lifestream, feeling a peace after 5 years of not knowing what happened.

Once they had defeated the menace who had threatened their world once again, they had destroyed him, his hold over Cloud, and allowed him to fade completely.

Cloud had told her that Aerith and Zack had been there, in the church, watching them.

He told her that Aerith told him that everything was alright now in that knowing tone of hers, making Cloud grumble and Tifa laugh as she could hear Aerith's voice clear as a bell in her head.

Then she and Zack had walked into the light and he knew. They both knew.

Aerith had finally found peace. After 5 years of not knowing what happened to Zack. After encasing herself in a shield of denial overhearing Zack's death. After being plagued with doubts if what she was doing was the right thing to do.

Aerith had found peace.

And it had eased their guilt. Allowing them to move on with their lives.

They cut the ribbon off their arms, putting them in a box and placing it at the base of the sword that belonged to Zack – Cloud's true hero – in the church.

They would never forget her, ever. But they would not let their guilt consume them.

Aerith would have never let them hear the end of it if they did. And the girl could be brutal when scolding them when she wanted to.

Barret and Cid could attest to her tongue-lashing.

"Yeah, Aerith would have been the best Aunt you could have. And I know, I just know, that she will be looking out for you. No matter how far away she might be."

A surge of warmth flood Tifa's body when the baby opened their eyes and she smiled.

"Hello sweetheart," she stroked the baby's forehead. "I'm so glad to meet you."

The baby started fussing and Tifa gently rocked, humming softly under her breath.

"Oh I know," she soothed, adjusting so she could pull down her hospital gown, freeing one breast before she gently guided the baby to her nipple, watching as the baby latched on eagerly, soft gums and cheeks working furiously to get the milk.

Tifa felt the relief as milk flow from her into her baby's waiting mouth and had to smile when the baby made soft content noises.

Tifa noticed the sounds of cooing slowly awakening Marle, watching as blue eyes opened, blinking when they met Tifa's and warmth flooded through Marle's eyes.

"Tifa," her voice rough with sleep and Tifa smiled.

"Hey, I thought you said sleeping was the for the weak," she teased.

Blue eyes narrowed at her, making Tifa giggle.

"Don't sass me after the scare you gave me."

"Sorry." Tifa's smile turned soft. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"You always do," Marle mumbled as she sat up, stretching her stiff body before she looked at Tifa, taking in for herself that Tifa was indeed still healthy and whole.

"So, this is the troublemaker?" Marle's eyes slid down to Tifa's chest, her eyes softening and Tifa's smile grew brighter.

"Yeah, this is our little troublemaker." Tifa's eyes slid down to the baby's nursing.

Tifa's fingers skimmed the baby's features, the small nose, the chubby little cheeks, little ears, and the soft feathery locks that reminded her so much of Cloud's.

She remembered Cloud's chagrined groan when the nurse remarked on the baby's hair.

Tifa's fingers gently touched the baby's fist, watching with an overwhelming heart as the hand loosened and small fingers grasped hers.

So much strength in that little hand.

"How are you feeling?" Marle asked.

"Overwhelmed," Tifa admitted without hesitation and Marle smiled. "But happy, so happy." Her cheeks felt like they were going to crack from how hard she was smiling.

"How can I possibly love her as much as I do and I've just laid eyes on her?" Tifa asked breathlessly.

"Because she is easy to love," Marle told her, looking at Tifa, "Just like her mama." Tifa rolled her eyes as a blush kiss her cheeks before she smiled.

"Thank you," Tifa told her.

Marle's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Thank you for everything you did. You took me in, gave me a home. You took care of me, taught me so many lessons."

Nights when her nightmares became so bad that Marle would sneak into her apartment, holding her close and stroking back her hair.

The soft yet firm encouragement of words, a gentle hand at the small of her back, pushing her forward. To keep walking.

 _You can look back at the past_ , Marle had once said, _just do not let the past consume you as you do._

The swift and cutting words Marle would have whenever Tifa felt unsure of her place in the world, unsteady on her feet, feeling like her wounds are growing, twisting her.

_You own your pain. The pain does not own you. Find your balance, one foot in front of the other and you control your pain. Never bow to it, make it bow to you._

"You became the grandmother I never had," Tifa told her, unaware that she was echoing a statement Marle had made to Cloud so long ago. "Thank you, for loving me."

Marle had tears in her eyes when Tifa finished, smiling at her before she reached out her hand.

Marle grasped it, almost as if it was a lifeline.

"And you finally got your wish. Cloud gave you a grandbaby."

"That's not funny!" Marle glared through tears. Tifa laughed.

"It is a little funny. Poor Cloud was mortified by you lecturing him on not spending enough time with me in bed if I wasn't pregnant by then."

"I was drunk!" Marle was quick to blame the alcohol she had consumed.

Tifa rolled her eyes as she thought back to that night.

_"So, Marle looked after you after your Master dumped you in Midgar?" Yuffie asked from where she was perched on the stool in front of the bar, watching Tifa eagerly as she mixed some non-alcoholic drinks for Yuffie to try.  
_

_He didn't dump me." Tifa was quick to defend her master. Yuffie arched an eyebrow before she rolled her eyes._

_"Fine, left you in a strange city all by yourself, at the age of 15, while you were still recovering from the trauma of losing your home-town, your family and healing from a wound that not even a cure Materia could heal to protect you." Yuffie waved her hand at Tifa's offended expression. "Back to the actual conversation. Marle was the one who took care of you?"_

_"Yes," replied Tifa, feeling put out._

_"She seems like a cool lady." Yuffie nodded, watching Marle's lecture Cid about something._

_Must be embarrassing by Cid's chagrined expression and hunched shoulders._

_Shera seemed to be torn between wanting to intervene and wanting to hide._

_Poor Cid. Tifa could only imagine what Marle was tearing into him for._

_The woman did like her lessons._

_"She is," Tifa agreed._

_"Not to the guys she wasn't," Barret spoke up from where he was sitting next to Yuffie, keeping one eye on Marlene and Denzel as they played darts with Cloud at the other side of the bar, Nanaki watching them too._

_The other eye was locked on Cid, watching as the pilot's cheeks turn red._

_"What guys?" Yuffie asked. Tifa frowned, also curious to what Barret was talking about._

_"Oh, Marle used to beat the guys back with her broom whenever they ventured too close to Tifa," Barret smirked at Tifa's shocked expression._

_"She did not!" Tifa denied. Barret arched an eyebrow._

_"Tifa, the apartment next to you would be empty for months. The only time she rented it out was to a woman."_

_"She let Cloud stay there," Tifa corrected._

_"And how long did you have to beg for her to let him stay?"_

_Too long, Tifa thought internally as she remembered Marle rebuffing her efforts to let Cloud rent the place next to her._

_"With the number of people looking for a place to stay, you didn't find it weird that the spot next to yours was always empty?" The knowing look in Barret's eyes made her puff out her cheeks and look away._

_No, she had not noticed. Too busy throwing herself into work and quests so she did not have to think about the things she did not want to remember._

_And to be honest, she was glad she did not have to deal with a neighbor, few and far in between as they were._

_It meant she did not need to worry about her waking them up with her nightmares._

_"She sounds awesome!" Yuffie's voice cut into her thoughts, making Tifa roll her eyes in amusement. "With a broom?" she asked Barret, who nodded._

_"Anyone who ventured too close to Tifa's door, whack!" Barret mimed the broom coming down hard, making Yuffie laugh and Tifa look at him skeptically._

_"I'm being serious," Barret promised and Tifa's jaw dropped._

_"She did not!" Tifa protested._

_"She did. I had to listen to them complain about how hard she could hit."_

_"Yuffie laughed harder, nearly teetering off the stool, making Barret place his hand on her back, preventing her from falling._

_Tifa was bewildered. This was completely new to her._

_Of course, Marle had protested over renting the spot next to her to Cloud but that was not because she was being protective of Tifa. She was merely looking after her apartments._

_There had been cases where the renter would go a little crazy and end up wrecking the place so Marle would have to toss them out on their ear._

_But surely Marle hadn't been that protective of her?_

_"Everything okay?" She heard Cloud's voice in her ear, a soft warm hand slid over the small of her back and around her waist, hugging her close to him._

_"Just discussing how awesome Marle is," Yuffie managed to calm her laughter as she leaned forward, her hands on the counter. "Did Marle ever hit you with a broom when you got close to Tifa's room?"_

_"No," Cloud smirked, "Tifa would be the one to come to my room."_

_Yuffie cackled. Barret arched an eyebrow at Tifa, who merely sighed and rolled her eyes._

_Cloud was possessive, they all knew that._

_Marle's voice cut into the din as they saw her make her way toward the bar, obviously finished chewing out Cid, who was grumbling under his breath from what Tifa could see over Marle's shoulder._

_"And you two!" She brought up her finger, making Cloud stiffen and Tifa's eyes widened. "What is your hold up?!"_

_"Excuse me?" Tifa asked, confused._

_"You heard me, girl, I know you're not deaf." Marle glared at her. Yuffie let out a snicker. "What is your excuse on you two waiting?"_

_"Waiting?" Cloud asked, bewildered._

" _At least you got the guts to ask Tifa to marry you." Marle wagged a finger in Cloud's face. "So, what's the hold up on my grandbabies?!"_

_"Marle!" Tifa exclaimed, her jaw-dropping in shock._

_Cloud just stuttered before mumbling out an 'I'm trying my best' under his breath, getting a pinch from Tifa._

_Thankfully Marle did not seem to hear him._

_"You're both so young and so pretty. Such beautiful babies to be made and you're slacking on the job?"!_

_Her hands went to her hips as she glared at Cloud…or at least glare at the wall behind him as her gaze grew unfocused._

_"Marle, sit down." Tifa rounded the bar to take Marle's elbow and guided her over to the chair and helped her to sit down._

_"Is it too much to ask for?" Marle hiccupped, "For pretty grandbabies?"_

_Tifa – for once – was at loss for words while their family snickered around them and Cloud just dropped his face into his hands._

_It was going to be a long night._

A night Marle didn't remember due to how much she had consumed, much to Cloud's amusement as he had used it to tease Marle for days afterward, telling Marle that he hadn't known she had held him in such high esteem and worthy enough to impregnate Tifa.

Resulting in an indignant Tifa showing him just how worthy he was to impregnate her.

"Marlene and Denzel did have questions for us after that night. I thought Barret was going to have a heart attack."

"That's not funny."

"It was, once I got over the shock of you demanding that I should be having babies," Tifa laughed out. "I never knew how much you felt about it."

"Neither did I," she admitted and Tifa smiled.

"Well, we have a new addition to the family," Tifa looked back down at the child, fussing and she soothed the baby, bringing the small fist to her lips.

The door opening revealed Cloud looking even more tired and irritable. Tifa bit the inside of her cheek as she tried not to smile. The hospital was not Cloud's favorite places and the nurses bossing him around made him hate it even more.

Marle stood up and pulled Cloud into an embrace, holding him close.

Tifa smiled at the panicked look on Cloud's face and rolled her eyes at the 'help me' look he gave her, rocking their child instead.

After a moment, Cloud wrapped his arms around Marle, hugging her back and Tifa felt her heart melt at the scene before Marle pulled away to look at Cloud.

"I take it all back," Marle told him. Cloud looked at her curiously. "You do have skills, wits, and charm."

Cloud rolled his eyes as Tifa laughed.

"Thank you," Marle told him. "For looking after Tifa when I couldn't. And for giving me a grandbaby."

"You know, we didn't have a baby just to give you a grandbaby, right?" Cloud asked, getting a glare from Marle.

"You're just lucky I like you," Marle muttered. Cloud shrugged. "Plus, you scare off the admirers better than I can."

Cloud got a pleased smile on his face while Tifa rolled her eyes.

Marle let Cloud go, watching as Cloud rounded the bed and gently sat down next to Tifa, who shifted so she was now in his arms.

"Marle," Tifa drew her attention, "Would you like to hold your grandbaby?"

A smile lit up Marle's face before she moved forward. Tifa sat up further, mindful of her body, and carefully transferred the child into Marle's arms.

"Hello sweetheart," Marle breathed, "And what is your name little one?"

"Amelia," Cloud told her, "Amelia Lockhart-Strife." He kissed Tifa's forehead as she leaned into him.

"Welcome to the family little Amelia," Marle whispered and Tifa felt tears prick her eyes.

Welcome to the family indeed.

The End.

I wanted to thank you all for the reviews you have left me. They encouraged me, and I am so glad that you enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it.

And I want to thank Krispy for asking me to write a story regarding Tifa and Marle.

This might not have been what he was thinking when he asked of it but it did help me to expand on my ideas when it came to Tifa and allowed me to have fun when it comes to writing about Tifa (my fave girl).

Thank you all again and I hope to see you again when I post a new story (whenever that might be…)

And yes, I did not add in Cait Sith. Those who know me understand why.


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